The Punk
by RockFan18
Summary: A new member has joined Star Fox. He isn't all he seems. (Epilogue Added)
1. Chapter 1

THE PUNK

Chapter 1

"Ugh! It smells terrible in here." Krystal. A blue furred Vixen, gagged as she put the collar of her shirt over her nose.

"I know." Her teammate and captain, Fox McCloud, replied. "Just stay close. It can get dangerous in here."

The two members of the Star Fox mercenary team shuffled their feet into the old, run down club named, _The Punk Scene._

Loud rock music was blaring loud enough to make glasses of water shatter. People dressed in dark clothing and tattoos were shouting and chugging numerous amounts of alcohol.

Middle fingers were all in the air as a punk rock band, consisting of three members, thrashed and bashed their instruments

The lead singer had no talent in vocalizing whatsoever. He was just screaming profanity into the microphone and the crowd loved it. He strummed his guitar loudly as feedback made Krystal cover her ears in despair.

The bassist, dressed in a leather jacket, played his bass as he jumped everywhere on stage. He then grabbed a bottle of booze and chugged it, without swallowing anything. He gritted his teeth and spit the intoxicating liquid through his rotten teeth. The crowd let the alcohol rain down on them as they stuck out their tongues and let the alcohol drop on them like snow falling from the sky.

"That's our guy, Krystal!" Fox shouted at the top of his lungs.

Krystal looked followed Fox's pointed finger to a shirtless drummer with long, wavy head fur. A Coyote with brown fur and blue eyes pummeled the drums with fierce anger as his facial expression contorted into a sort of, sadistic grin as he tapped the symbols loudly and kicked the bass drum over. The bass drum toppled over and fell just in front of the crowd as the lead singer yelled

"WE'RE ALLEYOOP! THANK YOU!"

The crowd cheered and screamed their heads off.

Krystal frowned at the arrogant drummer as he went to the front of the stage and stuck his middle fingers up for everyone to see.

She couldn't believe that he was the new member of Star Fox.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Coyote was in an old, sleazy bathroom as he washed his face in the not so clear water. This Coyote's name was Jason Evans. Ever since he was just a young pup, he grew up with all different styles of music. His most favorite genre, notably, was rock.

Jason stared into his reflection on the rusty, spray painted mirror as he recalled his youth. His father, Don , was a soldier in the Cornerian army. He was the man who introduced Jason to the wonderful music of rock. One day, Don took his son to a cheap music shop to find out what instrument he would like to play.

Jason was like a kit in a candy store as he browsed the shop for a specific instrument. Then, he stopped. His ears perked up and a wide smile spread across his brown furred face.

There, in the corner, was a little drum set. Jason eyed the instrument as the shine from the symbols pierced his eyes. He completely ignored the stinging pain as he walked around the set. He looked at the price tag, located on the bass drum.

It was only $150.00.

Jason pleaded his father to purchase the set. Don just took a look at the set and asked

"A drummer? Is that what you want to be?"

Jason nodded his head, as he couldn't contain his excited child's father just smiled at his eager son with his glowing blue eyes. Jason was everything to him, and he wanted to make him feel special with that drum set.

"Okay, eager Mc. Beaver!" he chimed. "You got yourself a drum set!"

Jason jumped up on the air and hooted. That was one of the last happy thoughts he had of his father.

A tear rolled from the 18 year old's face as he recalled his father.

"I still miss you, Dad." He whispered to himself as he splashed more water on his face.

"Excuse me?" a voice startled Jason from behind.

Jason turned around to see who was talking to him, completely unprepared.

There, standing in the doorway, was the Lylat systems greatest hero. A man exemplified by his bravery, determination, and leadership.

Jason was looking at Fox McCloud.

"Are you Jason Evans?" Fox asked.

"Uh… yeah." Jason answered, astonished.

"Well, I'm Fox McCloud, and I am here to accept you to team Star Fox." He congratulated the Coyote.

Jason's ears shot way up as a huge grin cracked from his face.

"I… uh… wow." Jason couldn't find his words.

"General Pepper sent me your application from the academy. He recommended that I let you join. He said you showed a lot of promise." Fox acknowledged.

"Well… this is… great." Jason stuttered as he shook the Vulpine's strong hand.

"Welcome aboard!" he announced.

Jason couldn't believe what was happening. He was shaking hands with his hero, became a member of Star Fox, and now, he knew how proud his Dad would have felt, if he were there, that is.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jason, with a dumbstruck expression on his face, followed Fox out of the bathroom to meet Krystal. They crammed their way through the huge crowd of punks as they found Krystal, standing in the doorway. She had a look of fear on her face as she motioned the two to exit the club quickly.

Thankfully, the trio escaped the club successfully and walked down the streets of Corneria. Fox was letting the nice, cool wind blow against his fur as he turned his attention to Jason.

"Jason, I'd like you to meet Krystal." He introduced the two to each other.

Jason just put his paw up and chimed a kind

"Hi."

Krystal didn't say anything. She just looked at the Coyote and replied with a nod and a smile. Jason's kind expression soon turned to worry as he saw the Vixen turn her head away from him and continue walking down the sidewalk.

"Jason, tonight, I need you to pack up all of your belongings and fill out some paperwork." Fox informed his newest teammate.

Jason nodded and replied

"Yes, sir."

Fox just rolled his eyes.

"Jeez, Jason. This isn't the academy anymore. Just call me Fox. "

Jason put a hand on the back of his head and looked down in embarrassment.

"Sorry." He whispered.

"Oh, no need." Fox assured kindly.

Krystal decided to take a good look at the Coyote. What she saw was a total mess.

Jason was dressed in a brown coat, which smelled of alcohol and ashes from cigarettes. His long head fur reached the middle of his back and needed to be desperately washed. His face was bombarded with scars and bruises. His scent could make Andross himself cry like an infant. All in all, Jason was a total mess.

Krystal had a rather nasty look on her face as Jason talked to Fox. She was completely confused on what Pepper saw in the Coyote.

"God, he'll be kicked out by next month!" Krystal thought.

000

Jason arrived in his apartment and quickly got out of his stinky clothes and took a shower. The warm water splashed against his face as he scrubbed off all of the germs and bacteria from the club. He couldn't help but start singing a little song in the shower, for he couldn't contain his excitement.

He sang in an energized and up beat tone

**Ow!**

**I feel good, **

**I know that I would**

**I feel good**

**I know that I would**

**So good, so good**

**I got you! **

Jason wiggled his legs as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a green towel around his waist as he continued singing.

He then remembered that he had some homework to do.

"The forms!" he cried.

He quickly put on some loose fitting clothes and went to work.

Jason stared at the paper blankly and carefully read each question. He read the terms of agreement on the Great Fox, he read more about the Star Fox team, and he filled out his personal information.

"Jason…Evans." He spelled out his signature as set his pen down and sat back in his chair.

"Whew!" he breathed.

Jason went to bed early that night, for Fox was going to pick him up early at 8:00.

Before Jason's mind casted off into slumber, he thought of Krystal, and how miserable she looked when she was by him.

"I need to find some way for me and her to become friends." Jason thought.

"After all, she is my teammate."

Jason just shrugged it off and fell to sleep.

Tomorrow, he was going to change his life for the better.

Author's Note: Okay, so, here's another chapter. I know it isn't so good, but hey, what can I do. Sorry for any grammar errors in the previous chapters. Anyways, have a pleasant day! Chapter 4 will be coming as soon as School gets out of the way!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_A Cornerian Army truck sped down the road as the tires screeched in front of a nice, clean, middle class house. An old and battered soldier, a feline with orange fur, with a cast on his head, limped to the door. The pain in his head was excruciating, but that just couldn't compare to the pain he felt inside._

_Don Evans, his comrade, teammate, and best friend, had just died right before his very eyes._

"_It was only a reconnaissance mission." The cat thought sadly as he let a tear roll down his face and on to the porch. What could make his day even worse? He had to tell the gut wrenching truth… to his young and happy son._

_The cat rang the doorbell, as the pain in his gut felt even more terrible as he heard tiny footsteps coming towards the chestnut brown door with the silver knob. The cat's eyes began to water as he saw the knob shake, click, and turn slowly. The door then opened, almost as if it were in slow motion._

_A young pup, with a broad smile on his face, and drum sticks in his hand, appeared in front of the soldier. _

"_Mr. Sauer! How are you?" the child greeted. "What happened to your head?"_

_The feline, Paul Sauer, couldn't bear to stare at the child. He was so happy, young, and gifted. He felt like screaming out in pain for his friend's demise, but he just couldn't find his words._

"_Jason." Paul began. His tears flooded from his eyes as the young Coyote knew something was terribly wrong._

"_Mr. Sauer?" Jason asked the feline. "What's wrong?" _

_Paul got down on one knee and looked the coyote dead in the eye. His mind hollered at why he had to deliver this awful message. Jason looked back at him as the feline reached into his pocket and pulled out something familiar. _

"_Why do you have my Dad's medal?" he asked in complete confusion. _

"_This is all we have left of him." Paul choked. "I'm…so sorry."_

_Jason then felt like a huge cannon ball impacted on his stomach. He had no words, just tears. The lump in his throat indicated his extreme discomfort in the situation._

"_He's gone." The feline explained sadly. _

"_No!" Jason protested softly. He felt a trembling hand on his shoulder and slapped it away. _

"_Jason, I just want to let you know that… he died doing what he loved. That was protecting Corneria and especially, you."_

_Jason glared intensely at Paul as the salty, unforgiving tears stung his face. His nails clawed deep into his palms, drawing blood. His heart was shattered into millions of pieces. The pieces would probably never be put back together again. The sweet loving, innocent kid was tearing himself up inside. He wanted to lash out at anybody who talked to him. He felt like the whole world wanted him to crumble and fade away. The rage and sadness was too overwhelming. Jason exploded like an atomic bomb._

"_NO! IT CAN'T BE! YOU'RE LYING!" the Coyote sobbed as Paul moved toward Jason for a comforting hug._

_Jason pushed him away forcefully. Paul stumbled backwards on the porch._

"_GO AWAY, LEAVE ME ALONE!" the child bellowed as he slammed the door, breaking the window. _

_The Cat's eyes fell to the cold, emotionless ground. His tears fell like rain from the sky as he drove away from the residence. He wondered if life was even worth living._

_The Coyote sobbed in his bed for hours. His weary and bloodshot eyes stared up at the clock._

_It read 7:00 PM_

"_Dad would have been home by now." He whimpered as he muffled his face into the pillow and continued crying. He would never be the same again._

000

The child, now a grown man, was recalling that awful day. His eyes stared down at the road as the yellow marks flashed before him and disappeared. Jason was sitting next to Fox as he drove his lovely, eloquent car sped down the street.

Fox was enjoying the feeling of receiving a new teammate. He had seen him practice his fighting skills when he visited the academy. He was deeply impressed by his will to excel. It reminded him of his upbringing.

Energized rock music boomed through Fox's stereo as he decided to make conversation.

"So… Jason." He started. "I presume that you really enjoy Rock music?"

Jason was broken from his daze as he snapped his attention from the road and replied

"Oh, sure! Ever since my dad bought me that Deep Purple record, I've loved that music ever since."

"Who's Deep Purple?" Fox asked, confused.

Jason's raised his eyebrow, as he wondered how Fox had never heard of them. Then, it hit him! Deep Purple was a human band, from so many centuries ago! His dad found it at ant antique store and bought it for him. Jason had never felt so stupid for mentioning his admiration for human music.

"They were a band from Earth." He stated. "That's probably why you never heard them."

Fox chuckled.

"Man, Peppy is going to love you!" he laughed.

"Um…why?" he asked, perplexed.

"He adores human rock. He has a collection of old records from here and Earth." Fox replied.

"How'd he get them?" Jason asked another question.

"Okay, so, get this. He was bold enough, and stupid enough to disguise himself as a human and take a vacation there for a week!" Fox burst out in hysterics.

Jason joined in with the laughter. He felt like he was going to bust a gut.

"God! No kidding! How did he disguise himself?" Jason screeched in complete laughter.

"Oh, just some technical shit!" he chuckled. "Trust me, I bet you'll fit into Star Fox in no time."

"You think so?" Jason asked, flattered.

"Oh, yeah! We need some fresh legs out there with us. You're perfect man." Fox stated, meaning every word.

Jason couldn't help but feel incredibly flattered and honored by Fox's compliments. Besides his father, Fox was the person that Jason looked up to growing up. He was the reason that Jason wanted to fly Arwings and battle for his home planet., again, besides his father.

"Thanks Fox." He replied gratefully. "I'll do my part."

"Hey! That's the spirit!" Fox chimed like a bell as they reached the transport station.

Jason's life was about to change. He just didn't know if it was for better or for worse.

Author's note: Chapter 4 is done! I worked pretty hard on this one, so I only ask that you review my story, for I have recently enabled anonymous reviews. Keep rocking my fellow writers!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Fox, I have a question to ask you." Jason informed the Vulpine.

Fox was looking out the window of the large, humming transport. The stars he saw seemed to dance across the vacuum of space as he propped his elbow on the ledge of the window. It really amazed him on how beautiful something could be. What also bewildered the Fox was the fact that death was staring right back at him through that window. To him, it was one of the most beautiful sights in his life.

"But no beauty can be compared to you." He thought about the person he loved so much.

The blue furred vixen swirled around his mind, as he just couldn't stop thinking about her perfect looks, and personality. Krystal was everything to him. He would never let anyone hurt her.

"Sir?" Jason asked in concern.

Fox immediately snapped out of the hypnotization of his own mind and directed his attention to the rookie mercenary.

"I apologize." He said rather sheepishly. "What was that?"

Jason scratched the back of his head and asked

"It's about one of your teammates. You know, Krystal?" He asked his captain.

Fox nodded and listened to Jason with attentive ears. Whenever a topic was about Krystal, he was always paying attention. He never wanted anything bad happening to his teammate and closest friend. In fact, he thought that she was the most important creature in his life.

"Well, you see, I think she and I got off on the wrong foot." Jason stated firmly.

Fox's muzzled dropped and his ears twitched nervously.

"What makes you think that?" he asked perplexed.

Jason became a bit nervous by Fox's question. He didn't want to anger the man or offend his team.

"You got this far, dumb ass! Don't screw it up!" he mentally shouted at himself.

Jason answered Fox's question as nice and unoffending as he could.

"Well, the thing is, I don't think she enjoys my coming here. She appeared a little distant and wasn't talking to me very much. I just want to get to know her as a teammate and become good friends. I want to do the same with everybody else on Star Fox."

Fox just smiled and shook his head.

"Ah, Krystal can be shy around new people. Once you get to know her, she'll come around. I was actually nervous as hell when I asked her to join the team!" he exclaimed.

"You… were nervous?" Jason questioned the Vulpine.

"Nervous?" Fox began. "I felt like I could have turned into Jell-o, I was so scared. See, she's from another planet far off from our system."

"Wow! That's interesting." Jason exclaimed as he lay back in his soft, comfortable seat. " What planet?"

"Uh, Cerinia." He answered. "After rescuing her from Andross and General Scales, I took her in and asked her to join. Thank God she accepted. She really is an amazing fighter, very gifted too. Uh…"

Fox began to blush uncontrollably as he realized his explanation of Krystal was a bit too detailed.

Jason didn't seem to notice Fox's blushing. But, he was a bit confused by his stammering. A single drop of sweat poured out from Fox's forehead and dropped to the metal floor.

"Man, even when she's not around, I'm losing it!" Fox thought in amazement. He stared at the ground to hide his embarrassment.

Suddenly, a loud hiss echoed throughout the ship as Fox snatched his head from the floor to the hatch of the transport. Then, a monotone voice boomed through the loudspeakers.

" **Transport successfully connected to Great Fox. Please watch your step." **

The two men did as they were told and entered the large, massive ship. Jason had seen this ship on TV many times when he was a little kit. He was amazed by just how incredibly huge it was. The ships name, The Great Fox, was a symbol of pride, passion, and determination. All of these characteristics gave Star Fox their reputation. They were hard working, efficient, and fearless. Once you join Star Fox, you are always a member, no matter what happens.

"Well, welcome to your new home!" Fox announced. "Come with me. You can meet the others!"

Jason felt a welcome feeling in his chest when Fox said "New home." Jason couldn't believe that he, a punk rocker who never lost sight of his real dream, was living with the heroes of the Lylat system.

Fox led Jason to the control room of the Great Fox. While he was following his captain, a cold, hard, and rusty finger tapped Jason on the shoulder. Jason turned around to see who the person was. To his surprise, Jason didn't find a living being right behind him. He was staring eye to eye with a robot. The Robot's yellow eyes shined right in Jason's face.

"Whoa!" Jason cried as he was completely startled by the Robot.

Fox turned around, smiled, and cracked up.

"Don't be alarmed. That's just ROB. He helps us if we need any repairs or upgrades."

The Robot spoke in a plain and electric voice.

"**It is a pleasure to meet you." ** He greeted.

Jason smiled and shook the robot's hand.

"**The others are waiting for you in the hanger area." **He informed.

"This way." Fox motioned as he led the Coyote to his destination.

Fox and Jason entered the hanger. Jason's jaw immediately dropped when he saw the Arwings. Their elegant white and blue paint added to their beauty. It was one of the most amazing things Jason ever laid his eyes upon.

"Hey! The rookie's here!" a loud, excited shout boomed throughout the hanger.

Jason's head turned around frantically to find out whom the voice belonged to.

"Over here!" the voice rang out again.

Jason's attention turned to a blue feathered Avian. The bird stepped out from behind his Arwing with a sweat-covered face. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a red bandana was draped across his sweat-glazed forehead.

"There's the dude Pepper's been nuts about!" he exclaimed as he extended his arm to shake Jason's.

Once their hands made contact, Jason felt a small jolt of pain come from his hand. It was some kind on electric, burning sensation that caused Jason's whole body to vibrate.

"Ow!" Jason hissed in pain as he brought his hand to his face,

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Falco literally pissed himself laughing. "Just a little "initiation". See?"

Falco pointed to a little red button that was attached to his hand by a black, velvet strap. Jason rubbed his hand as he stared in utter shock at the joy buzzer. Fox shot the bird a dirty look and then turned his attention to the poor Coyote.

"Please forgive Falco." He apologized. "He's a wise ass sometimes."

Jason nodded his head and told Falco

"Nice to meet you."

"And the same to you, my friend." He patted him on the back.

"Come meet Slippy." Fox invited. "He's over by his Arwing."

Fox, Falco, and Jason all met up with the short, pudgy, green toad. He was wearing a red baseball cap and his facial expression turned from exhausted to excitement when he saw the young Coyote.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Slippy chimed as he crawled out from under his ship. "It's the rookie!"

Slippy trotted over to Jason and shook his hand with both of his hands.

"It's a pleasure. My name's Slippy and I am thrilled to have you on the team."

Jason smiled at the energetic toad as he replied.

"It's a pleasure for me as well."

"Hey guys, what's all the ruckus?" an old and weary hare appeared from the shadows of his Arwing.

"Ah, here's the guy I've been telling you about." Fox told Jason as he nudged him with his shoulder. "Go ahead, meet him."

Jason walked up to the old hare and shook his hand.

"Jason! I've read you're information and I am excited for your joining us here.'" The hare chimed. "My name is Peppy Hare."

"Oh! Nice to meet you sir." Jason said.

While Jason was getting to know his teammates, Fox's head turned frantically as he looked for Krystal.

"Where could she be?" Fox pondered mentally.

"I'll be right back, I just have to go check something." Fox lied as he jogged out of the hanger.

Falco just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"It's Krystal." He chuckled. " He's always worried more about her than us."

Jason's ears shot up as he remembered the name. He recalled all of the rather nasty looks she gave him when he first met her.

000

"Fox, I just don't think he's mercenary material." Krystal told her captain.

"Oh, come on, Krystal!" Fox told her. "He's a great guy with a nice personality."

"Really?" Krystal doubted the Vulpine. "Then what about when he was on stage at that horrible club, hm?"

"It was just for show, Krystal." He urged the vixen. "Trust me!"

Krystal stared at Fox and couldn't help but feel lost in his breathtaking green eyes. Those eyes were the first things she saw after being in that prison on Sauria for so long. She just couldn't say no to him. He was just too charming and cute. In fact, she deeply admired him, to a greater extent than just friends.

"Oh, alright Fox." She finally gave in.

Fox breathed a sigh of relief as Krystal followed him down the corridor and to the hanger.

Authors Note: Hey! Sorry it took me so long for chapter 5. I was just so caught up in school and other stuff. Hope you enjoy this chapter. And if my story's not good, well sorry. I'm pretty new here. Please review for any suggestions or comments!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jason just stood there as he was completely mesmerized by how neat and tidy his room was. The room contained a single bed with a soft and cushy mattress. Jason sprawled on the bed and felt the nice, comforting mattress on his backside. The Coyote sighed in pure relaxation and closed his eyes.

"One thing's for sure." He thought. "I'll sleep well while I 'm here."

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Jason was completely baffled at who could be visiting his quarters at this hour.

"Heh, it's almost midnight. That's pretty weird," he muttered as he headed for the door.

OOO

"Okay, don't judge a book by its cover. He could be a valuable teammate. You must get used to him." Krystal thought in her ever-racing mind after she knocked on the door nervously.

"I'm coming." A voice announced from the other side.

Krystal jumped a bit when the door opened. Jason was wearing a black t- shirt, which read "AC/DC" in blood red letters. His long, wavy hair was draped over his shoulders as a shaky smile spread across his face.

"Oh, uh… hey." He said rather sheepishly.

"Hello Jason." Krystal greeted as nicely as she could. "How are things?"

"Great." He responded plainly. "Uh, Falco gave me the joy buzzer prank, but hey, what can you do?"

Krystal laughed heartily.

"He did that to me when I joined the team!" she chuckled.

"Really? So, it is an initiation!" he replied.

"So, do you mind if I come in?" Krystal proposed.

Jason felt his nervousness shiver all over his body as he stepped to his side and motioned for Krystal to enter.

"Must make a good impression." He thought.

"Well, here it is." He announced playfully.

Krystal looked around the room as she gazed at how Jason decorated it. Posters of certain bands that she had never heard of were surrounding her. But there was one picture that really caught her eye. It was a black and white photograph of a strange looking creature. She knew it was a human, but there was something about the human. He seemed rather depressed and lonely in the picture. He had long hair that wasn't as long as Jason's. His eyes were closed, as if he just wanted to disappear. The cigarette he was smoking was ever so elegant as the smoke flowed in the air. He was holding an acoustic guitar in his hands.

"Krystal, are you okay?" Jason asked the sapphire vixen.

"I'm fine, it's just… what's the story with that picture?" she asked.

"Oh, that's my musical hero." He told her. "His name is Kurt Cobain."

Krystal again turned her gaze to the picture.

"He looks so sad." She said.

"Well, he was a very sad person. But, he was one of the greatest musicians in Earth history. He created a new form of rock called "Grunge." It sort of started a new wave of rock music. He was a part of a band named "Nirvana." They literally ruled the music business, until Kurt just couldn't take it anymore." He sighed in sadness.

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked curiously. "Why would he just end everything?"

Jason's ears drooped down and muttered.

"He killed himself Krystal."

"Oh my… that's horrible." She sighed.

"Well, his music still lives on. Here, I'll show you an example." He told the vixen as he walked slowly to his closet and drew out a cheap acoustic guitar. He turned his head to Krystal and smiled nervously.

"You play guitar too?" she asked excitedly.

"Oh, yeah. Wonderful instrument. Here, just let me tune it." He tuned the guitar to the right sound as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"So, here's a Nirvana song I particularly like to play. It's called "All Apologies."

Krystal nodded her head and sat down next to Jason, as he got ready to play.

He tapped his foot on a count of four and began to play a nice little riff. The riff immediately hooked Krystal into the song as she continued to listen in pure enjoyment. She was completely unprepared for what she was about to hear.

Jason started to sing in a mellow and calm tone. His voice took Krystal by surprise.

**What else should I be? All Apologies**

**What else can I say? Everyone is gay**

**What else should I write? I don't have the right**

**What else should I be? All Apologies**

**In the sun, in the sun I feel as one**

**In the sun, in the sun**

**Married, buried**

**I wish I was like you, easily amused**

**Find my nest of salt, everything is my fault**

**I'll take all the blame, aqua sea foam shame**

**Sunburn, freeze burn, choking on the ashes of her enemy**

**In the sun, in the sun I feel as one**

**In the sun, in the sun**

**Married, buried**

**Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,**

**All in all is all we are**

**All in all is all we are…**

Jason stopped his guitar playing as he kept on repeating the last line. He finally finalized the song.

"Well, that's basically what their music is about, among some other heavier stuff…"

"Jason." Krystal began. "That was wonderful!"

Jason blushed and lowered his head.

"Oh no. I'm not a legend like Cobain. I haven't even written my own stuff." He said rather shyly. "Just poetry."

"You're a poet too?" Krystal exclaimed. "Just change that poetry into songs and I bet you'll be on your way!"

Jason was surprised at Krystal's compliment of his musical talent. Just a couple days ago, she had no interest in him whatsoever; now, she was more open and less hostile.

"Phew, thank god!" he thought.

"I'll see you in the morning. You just try to write a song. " She motivated the rookie. "I bet you'll do fine."

They both said their goodnights as Krystal walked out the door.

"Wow. I guess Fox was right. He isn't what he appears to be. I guess he's just a bit misunderstood." She thought.

What really impressed Krystal was his talent in music. He wasn't just a punk rocker who could barely play an instrument. He had actual talent.

"I was a fool to think he was less than that." Krystal scolded herself.

"Krystal?" a familiar voice called from behind.

Krystal turned around and was a bit startled to see Fox right across from her.

"Oh, it's just you, Fox." Krystal breathed as she put a hand on her chest.

"Sorry to scare you." He apologized. "I was just having some trouble sleeping, so I went to get some water."

"Oh, Fox. Don't be so apologetic." She reassured the Vulpine as she gave him a heartwarming smile.

Fox's heart melted when she saw that smile. It was the first thing he thought about when he woke up in the morning. Krystal was so pure to him. He thought that no other Vixen in the entire universe could be as pretty as her. But, Krystal wasn't all about looks to Fox. It was her personality he most deeply admired. She could be as kind as a butterfly and always tried to bring the best out of everyone. She was perfect, and that is why Fox felt so terrible.

"Fox, is something the matter?" Krystal asked the captain as he lowered his head.

"Nothing, it's just…" he muttered as he felt a tear begin to form in his eye.

"Fox, look at me." She sighed, as she knew what he was thinking about.

"I should've never kicked you off the team before!" he scolded himself. "Why you decided to come back is beyond me!"

"Fox, I know what you did to me before and I thought it was unforgiveable. But, after I saw you begging for me to rejoin, I just couldn't say no. You have nothing to be ashamed about. You did it for my safety and I feel foolish for not realizing that at first. Star Fox is my home, not as a member of Star Wolf."

Fox felt better after hearing her say that.

"Well, I'm just sorry I treated you like that." He said in sorrow. "I just wanted you to be safe."

"Fox, don't fret about it." She said kindly. "I'll glad to be back and I'm ecstatic to be back with my old teammates."

Fox smiled at the reassuring Vixen and told her thanks and

"Goodnight."

As Fox was about to get his drink, Krystal stopped him.

Fox turned around to see a blushing Vixen right in front of his face.

"Goodnight, Fox." She sighed.

Suddenly, Fox's heart skipped a beat when Krystal drew toward the side of his muzzle for a soft kiss. Fox's mind raced when he felt his secret lover's lips on the side of his face. It was almost like a portion of heaven.

Krystal hugged Fox tightly and trotted away to her room.

After Krystal returned to her room for the night, Fox fell to the floor, entirely smitten.

"Oh my god." was all he could say as he gazed up at the ceiling.

After his ecstasy washed away from his heart, he finally got up from the floor and headed to bed.

Author's note: I know what you are thinking! You think that I am going to start a love triangle Krystal, Fox, and Jason. The answer is…NO! Also, I feel that I should explain what happened between Fox and Krystal, but I think you readers can figure it out online or something. So, that's what I recommend if you are confused with the ending of this chapter. Anyway, see you later. Please Review!

P.S: Look up that Nirvana song. It's freaking sweet!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Krystal mentally kicked herself in the face for her actions last night. "You just had to kiss him!"

Krystal was sitting up in her bed as she recalled the previous night. She had no idea what came over her when she kissed Fox on the cheek. Normally, a common woman would have been proud of her actions if she pulled something like that. But, Krystal wasn't like most women. She was always mild, kind, and always tried to contain her urges. But, the sight of Fox and his constant stammering and blushing around her always made it hard for her to contain her desires. He was just way too handsome, charming, and witty. Krystal would have gone mad if she hadn't done anything sooner. She felt so ashamed for her outburst of affection.

"You don't even know if he likes you!" Krystal's sub conscious screamed at her as she slapped a hand to her face and groaned.

"I'm such an idiot!" she sighed as she fell back on to the bed with a thud.

Krystal stared up at the ceiling as she continued to scold herself for pecking Fox on the cheek.

"Still," she sighed in a daydream state of expression "It was so wonderful."

Krystal looked at the clock, which read 8:00 AM.

"Better get up." She told herself as she dragged her tired body out of bed and stumbled into the shower to let the hot and comforting water wake her up.

OOO

Krystal walked down the corridor of the Great Fox and yawned softly as she walked in a tired and drowsy stupor.

"I have to start sleeping earlier." She moaned as she took a left turn to head to the kitchen for breakfast.

On her way to the kitchen, Krystal's ears perked up as she heard a peculiar sound coming from the training room. She thought to herself on who or what could be making the sound.

"Hmm, it couldn't be Falco, Slippy, or Peppy." She pondered. "They would never wake up early unless it was huge emergency."

She decided to find out for herself as she padded down the hallway to the training room. As she walked, she noticed that the sound was growing louder and louder as she reached the slide doors to the room.

"Who could be making that noise at this hour?" she thought aloud as she entered her code to the training room on the panel and entered carefully.

Krystal heard the sound loud and clear when she stepped inside, but there was no sign of anyone in the room.

"Hello?" she called out. "Anyone?"

Suddenly, the noise stopped after a final thud that vibrated the ground. Krystal jumped a bit at the sudden noise and began to fell a bit frightened. She positioned herself in a fighting stance as she searched the room.

"Where are you?" she called out angrily as she clenched her fists.

From behind the vixen, a figure emerged and began to walk towards her. Krystal heard the noise of the figure's feet make contact with the ground as she turned around quickly and readied herself. To her surprise, there was no enemy.

It was just Jason. The young Coyote was drenched in sweat from head to toe as he was holding a fifteen-pound medicine ball in his hands.

"Hi Krystal." He greeted kindly as he walked towards a green box and placed the medicine ball in carefully.

"Good morning." She chimed as she relieved herself of her fighting stance and stood up straight to face her newest teammate.

"You're up early!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing in here? I thought we were under attack!"

Jason put a hand behind his neck and rubbed it nervously and said

"Sorry for all the commotion if I caused any."

"Forget about it." She accepted. "What were you doing anyway?

"Oh just some fitness training." He explained. "Those med ball smashes must have been the culprit."

They both chuckled in unison as Jason grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face.

"How long have you've been training?" Krystal asked perplexed.

"Since 6:00 in the morning." He chuckled.

"Heh, wow! Only Fox gets up that early to work out." Krystal replied.

"That I do!" A voice boomed over the room.

Jason and Krystal turned their heads to find Fox walking into the room with a t-shirt, a pair of running shorts, and sneakers.

"Morning guys!" he greeted.

"Morning, Fox." They replied kindly.

Fox walked over to the bench to lift some weights. He bent over to grab some rather heavy weights from the floor. As he was bending over, Fox had no idea that Krystal's eyes were fixed on his well-toned body.

"Oh my." She thought in a dream like state. "So unbelievable."

Krystal shook her head softly as she denounced her perverted thoughts on Fox. She never wanted to treat other men like that, even if they were as handsome as Fox. Krystal's blush was very noticeable as she turned her head away in humiliation.

"Guys, I'm uh… going to go have some breakfast." She stammered as she jogged out of the room and into the kitchen.

Fox and Jason were confused at Krystal's sudden departure, but they dropped it immediately.

"Well, Fox." Jason began. "I've been working out long enough. So, I guess I'll meet you at breakfast after I shower up."

"Okay, see you then." He agreed as he toyed with the incredibly heavy weight.

OOO

Jason emerged from the bathroom with a towel draped across the lower half of his body. He shook his long wavy hair as water droplets sprayed all over the place.

"Okay, time to eat!" he thought, as he made his way downstairs to the kitchen.

Jason walked rather slowly downstairs due to his previous work out. His legs were pretty sore and in each step he took, he grunted in annoyance due to a small hint of pain.

"Maybe it wasn't smart to do that." He scolded himself. "Don't be such a show off with your athleticism, dumbass!"

Jason finally entered the kitchen and quickly grabbed a box of Corn Flakes. He poured the flakes into a bowl and then poured some milk into his cereal. He looked around and noticed that Krystal was nowhere to be seen.

"Must've already eaten." He concluded as he took a spoonful of the Corn Flakes and brought it up to his face.

"Ah, my favorite." He sighed as he put the box away and began eating.

"Mine too!" an old and weary voice chimed as he pulled the door open from the engine room and sat down next to Jason.

"Good morning, Peppy." Jason greeted affably.

"Hey there kiddo." He replied sweetly. "So, how are things for you so far?"

Jason smiled broadly.

"Oh, just wonderful!" He exclaimed. "Can't complain."

"Ha! I hope not!" Peppy laughed as he grabbed the newspaper to read up on what was going on in Corneria.

After Jason finished his cereal, he decided to make conversation with Peppy.

"Hey Peppy, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot, my friend." He replied to Jason's question.

"Um, well…Fox told me that when you were younger, you used to visit a human planet called Earth. You really bought human music there?" He asked the old hare.

Peppy laughed hysterically.

"Nobody has brought that up in ages! But yes, I used to visit Earth. Beautiful planet with wonderful creatures." He answered. "The music there is extraordinary!"

"Really?" Jason asked curiously "How extraordinary?"

Peppy lay back in his chair as he remembered all the good times he had there.

"Ever hear of 'The Beatles'?" he asked the Coyote.

"No." Jason replied plainly.

"Come with me, I'll show you." He invited as he got up from his chair and went to his quarters. Jason followed him.

"The Beatles?" he thought. "That's an odd name!"

The two men arrived in Peppy's room as the old hare immediately opened up a big chest filled with old and dusty records. They included bands like Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd. These were bands that Jason knew and loved with a passion, but he never heard of the Beatles.

Peppy drew out a very old record and blew some of the dust off of the cover. The cover showed four heads in a black background. There was no color, just black and white.

"Here." Peppy said as he handed the record to Jason "That is the Beatle's second album from 1963. It's called "Meet The Beatles!"

Jason looked at the album with a watchful eye as he stared deeply at the cover.

"Jason, music cannot be played by just looking at it. Go ahead, put it on the record player by my lamp." He pointed in the direction of where the record player was as Jason carefully placed the needle on the spinning record. Suddenly, lovely, entrancing music blared from the amp of the record player as Jason was completely floored by its incredible sound.

"Ah, this is a catchy one." Peppy sighed as he sat on his bed and listened as the needle of nostalgia penetrated his entire body. "It's called 'I want to hold your hand."

Jason then heard the singing of the song and he was once again intrigued by the voices of the people who were singing. But, Peppy eventually turned off the record player and stuffed the record back in its cover.

"Well, that's what the Beatles music is like. How'd you like it?"

"I loved it!" Jason exclaimed. "I'm surprised I never heard of this group before!"

"Well, they are amazing!" Peppy added.

The whole rest of the afternoon, Peppy and Jason just talked about music they enjoyed and played records. Jason had never felt so at home after he patched things up with Krystal. But, at times, good times can lead to trouble.

Authors Note: God! This one sucked and I know it! Well, anyways, sorry it took so long to update. Stay tuned for chapter 8!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"**Good day sunshine!" **Jason sang out in happiness as he sprung himself from bed.

The day before for Jason was so extraordinary. Every day, he seemed to click with Star Fox more and more. It was almost as if he belonged with the team, not only as a work partner or a teammate, but also as a close friend.

"Life is finally getting better for me." He thought. "No more playing in shitty clubs for small pay."

Jason decided that it was now time for him to shower up and get ready for the day ahead.

OOO

"I can't stop thinking about her." Fox sighed as he ate his breakfast slowly.

His breakfast included scrambled eggs, bacon, and a glass of orange juice. He twiddled his fork in the eggs as he continued to think about the one he loved. A small tear came to his eye, as he continuously hated himself for betraying the vixen. Yet, he felt a sort of deep relief after she agreed to join the team again. Still, he couldn't forgive himself.

"I shouldn't even have the right to live." Fox thought depressingly as he chewed on his food.

"Morning, Fox!" a friendly voice chimed as he made his way to the table to eat with his close friend.

"Hey Slippy!" Fox replied kindly. "Sleep well?"

The green toad yawned and stretched as he made his way into the pantry to find some food.

"I slept alright." He replied coolly. "You?"

Fox's ears began to droop down as he remembered that last night; he only slept for five hours. He just couldn't take his mind off Krystal.

"Uh…yeah." He lied softly. "Fine."

Slippy's energetic expression soon turned to concern and worry for Fox. He had never seen him this upset before. It was almost as if his entire personality had shut down.

"Fox?" Slippy asked in concern. "You okay?"

Fox just stared at his food. He couldn't reply.

Suddenly, Slippy's attention was turned to the sound of footsteps approaching the room. Then, Jason and Falco entered the room as they were locked in deep conversation.

Earlier, Jason met Falco on his way to breakfast and the two said their "hellos" and "good mornings". Falco wanted to make conversation with the rookie, just to know more about his own life. Soon, they were both talking non -stop about the topics they enjoyed. Jason was especially impressed with the fact that Falco survived getting shot down six times. In fact, it was a record for Star Fox!

"Hey guys!" Slippy greeted kindly.

"Morning, Slippy!" Jason replied happily.

"Hey man." Falco replied in his calm, cool, and laid back way.

Jason and Falco immediately rekindled their conversation as the topic suddenly dragged off into one thing that Jason was well interested in: Music.

"So, Jason, I heard that you're a drummer, right?" Falco asked.

"Oh, yeah. Not only that, though. I also play guitar." He answered plainly.

"Damn, my friend!" He exclaimed. "That's gotta be some talent you have!"

Jason blushed a little from Falco's compliment.

"Oh no. I can't play for my life!" he lied. Jason was never the type to brag. He always wanted to keep his talent to himself. He found the attention… a bit embarrassing.

Then, out of the blue, a voice rang out in protest.

"Oh Jason! Don't lie about things you shouldn't even lie about!"

Krystal was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. She had a smile on her face and walked toward the table to sit next to Jason.

"Jason, I've heard you play before, and you were wonderful!" She exclaimed. "Don't be so hard on yourself!"

Falco was already interested in learning of Jason's musical abilities.

"You played in front of her?" Falco asked perplexed.

"Well, yeah. It was just a demonstration." Jason replied innocently.

Krystal rolled her eyes.

"You know Jason, I played bass back in high school for a while." Falco said.

Jason snapped his head towards Falco in complete surprise.

"You were a bassist?" he asked.

"Uh huh." He replied calmly. "Actually, I was in a band with Foxy boy over there." He pointed his finger in the direction of the still pondering Vulpine as he finally finished his eggs. Fox did not notice Falco's pointed finger and was taken in complete surprise as he wrestled out of his daze and focused on Falco.

"Huh?" Fox asked, unprepared for what Falco was talking about.

"Fox! The band we had back in high school! Think!"

The vulpine easily remembered those innocent times back in high school. Fox couldn't play an instrument, but his vocal range and singing talent was outstanding. He rarely missed a note back when he played alongside Falco and other friends.

"Oh yeah." Fox finally remembered. "Those were good times."

Jason was caught completely off guard.

"Fox and Falco were in a band together?" he thought in astonishment.

"You two were in a band together?" Krystal asked in complete confusion. "Why didn't you guys ever tell me this?"

Falco crossed his arms.

"Well, after we graduated, Fox and I wanted to keep the band a personal experience to never really talk about. But, with Jason here, I thought it would be fine to mention."

Slippy scratched his head as he searched for a familiar face.

"Is Peppy awake?" He asked.

"Nah, still sleeping." Fox replied. "I tried to wake him up, but he needed some extra hours of sleep. He should be up soon."

It was at that time when Falco got up and stretched with a mighty yawn.

"Okay, so I'll shower and clean my Arwing." He said. "See you guys later."

Falco left the room as everyone waved goodbye. Krystal decided to talk with Jason.

"So, Jason, the team's going out for dinner tonight." She announced. "You want to come along?"

Jason shifted his position in his chair as he sat up straight. Ever since his Dad died, he was never really invited to anything. People always saw him as a loner and never got too close to him back then. He put a hand on the back of his head and scratched it nervously.

"I don't know. I may have some paper work to fill out for today's shipments." He said.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Peppy said he's got it covered for you for the night." She said reassuringly.

Jason never liked it when someone did work for him. It made him feel a bit spoiled.

"He doesn't have to." He murmured. "If it's my work, it's my duty to complete it."

Krystal smiled at the determined Coyote. She admired how he always wanted to get his work done. She also felt the same way. She couldn't stand the thought of making someone do the work for her.

"Well, that's nice of you Jason." She responded kindly. "But, the guys really want you to come. It's only one night. "

Jason decided that he should give in to the team's wishes. After all, it was probably the least he could do to say "thank you " for the team letting him join. He raised his arms in defeat.

"Okay Krystal! You win!" he surrendered.

Krystal patted him on the back.

"There you go! Be ready by 7:00."

Jason nodded as he headed off into the training room to do his workout routine.

Fox and Krystal were the two remaining souls in the room. It was a bit of an awkward moment, but they both felt a lot better when they saw each other's smile.

"Good morning, Krystal." Fox said.

"Hi, Fox." She responded.

Fox's smile immediately turned to a bit of a frown as he stared at his empty plate. Krystal noticed this and walked over to the vulpine she loved with all her heart. It killed her inside to see him this upset.

"Fox?" She asked worriedly.

Fox raised his head to the sapphire Vixen as she placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered

"It's okay."

Fox forced a weak smile across his face. He just couldn't bear to respond to Krystal.

"She feels sorry for me." Fox thought sadly. "And it's all my fault."

Krystal smiled kindly and walked off to her room to prepare. She turned her head back one last time to see Fox looking out the window. His hand was propped under his chin as he watched the stars twinkle in the utter blackness of space.

"I love you, Fox." Krystal thought as she headed off into her room.

OOO

The team walked through the streets of Corneria as people looked at them with pure astonishment. Star Fox rarely went out in public for fun. They would usually be bombarded with autograph requests and horny teenage girls wanting to go out with either Fox or Falco. In fact, many girls thought Slippy was the cutest, but he was a bit timid around them, so they usually left him alone.

"Ah, here it is." Falco pointed at the nice, classy restaurant as the team entered. They were immediately greeted with gasps and cheers from the people who were innocently dining there.

An albino tiger who was at the front desk of the restaurant applauded them briefly and greeted them nicely.

"Welcome, Star Fox!" He said with a slight English accent. "Right this way."

The well -mannered tiger led them to a large booth as they all sat down and eagerly read their menus.

"What are you getting, Fox?" Jason asked.

"Oh, just a hamburger and some fries." He answered. "You?"

"I don't know. I'm in a tie between a hamburger or a steak." Jason said as he scratched his chin.

"I 'd get the steak, they're amazing here!" Falco exclaimed as he set his menu down.

"Heh, okay. Sounds good!" Jason replied as he too put his menu away.

After everyone picked what food and drinks they wanted, the tiger collected their menus and went off to give the cooks the orders.

"Well, can't wait to eat." Slippy said as he lay back in the booth coolly and sighed.

Fox and Krystal were sitting right next to each other. They both felt so awkward, yet peaceful at the same time. Suddenly, Fox felt a presence on his lap. He blushed feverously as he saw Krystal's warm and furry paw rubbing his upper leg. He looked up at her to see that she too was blushing like mad. Krystal smiled warmly as she retracted her hand from his leg and sat still.

"You feeling alright?" She whispered comfortingly.

"Uh…ye…yeah." Fox stammered, ignoring Falco's quiet chuckling.

"Well, good." Krystal replied nicely. "Don't want a sad captain leading our team!"

She nudged him playfully as they both laughed in unison. Fox quickly turned away, as did Krystal. His mind was screaming from her burst of affection.

"Holy shit!" Fox thought. "That felt so amazing!"

Krystal's mind was racing as well.

"I have to stop doing that!" She mentally yelled. "But, he's just…so… handsome and caring."

A female waitress delivering their drinks interrupted Fox and Krystal's thoughts. She was an orange furred feline, who had a very pretty smile.

"Here you all go." She said kindly. "The food will be here shortly."

"Thanks." They all replied politely as she headed off.

Suddenly, just as the feline entered the kitchen, the entrance to the restaurant burst open as four figures emerged from the outside. One of them was a gray wolf with a black eye patch over his right eye. The second figure was a green skinned and scrawny Chameleon. The third figure was a tall, well- built, black furred feline. The final figure was a white and red furred monkey with evil yellow eyes.

"Aw, shit." Fox sighed in frustration. "It's Star Wolf."

Author's note: Don't you just hate Star Wolf? Ha! Ha! Well, anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really worked hard on this one! It isn't long, but it took a lot of thought. Please review!

P.S Sorry If my story is lame or rushed. I'm trying my best.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The whole team grunted in annoyance, except for Jason. Jason just stared at the Star Wolf team, for he had no idea who they were.

The Star Wolf team was known for being the exact opposite of Star Fox. They were crude, disloyal to Corneria, and even sometimes worked for evil. The team was led to their booth as Wolf O'Donnell, the team's leader, immediately spotted Fox and his team. A broad and sadistic grin spread across his gray- furred face as the team left their booths and headed over to poor Fox and the rest of their team.

"Fuck!" Falco huffed as he banged his hand on the table. "I just want one freaking day without these idiots annoying us."

"Jason, whatever you do, don't make eye contact with them." Fox told the rookie quietly as he just stared down at the table. Jason and the whole rest of the team did just that.

The gray- furred Wolf and his team arrived at Star Fox's dinner table with smiles of mischief and evil. Panther Caroso, a rude and unbelievably self -centered man, slapped Slippy's red cap right off of the green toads' head, making his team's presence known. Fox clenched his fists in rage and complete hate, but he knew it was best for his reputation to just ignore Wolf and his team of thugs and keep his cool.

"Hey, Pup!" Wolf snarled. "Miss us?"

Fox glared at he table as he continued to disregard Wolf's annoying voice and attitude. Wolf O'Donnell was one of the best pilots in the entire Lylat system. But, he basically threw his whole life away trying to take down Fox McCloud. His arrogance and over cocky attitude made him an outcast in the mercenary business.

Leon, a completely arrogant and vexatious chameleon, screeched right in Falco's ear,

"Aw, isn't that cute! They're giving us the silent treatment again!"

Falco almost threw the table aside to start an all out brawl against Leon. But, Fox gave him a look, which perfectly said

"Just don't!"

Falco dialed his anger down and stayed quiet.

Panther moved rather smoothly towards Krystal and put his paw on hers, only to have Krystal growl and snatch her hand away.

"Krystal, my sweet, Panther means no harm."

Suddenly, a slight burst of laughter came from someone at the table. It wasn't Fox, Krystal, Falco, or Slippy. Both teams immediately turned their eyes to a young Coyote who was desperately trying to hold back his laughter. Star Fox looked at him with eyes of surprise, while Star Wolf looked at him with eyes of rage and annoyance.

"Ha! He talks in third person!" Jason thought in hysterics.

"Find something funny, Coyote?" Andrew viciously glared down on Jason.

Jason could only put his paws to his muzzle and leave out a shaky, "No", as he immediately put his paws back to his mouth to try to seal his giggles.

"Oh, I think you do." Panther said as he made his way toward Jason. Their faces were about five inches apart when Panther grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to his face. Jason's giggles suddenly faded away when he saw the evil in Panther's eyes. A single drop of sweat was etched on to Jason's forehead as Panther had a complete death grip on his collar.

"HEY! PUT HIM DOWN!" Fox screamed as his rage finally erupted. He jumped from his seat as he pulled Panther away from a still stunned Jason. The rest of Star Fox did the same as they stood their ground against Star Wolf. Jason eventually joined them.

"Oh it looks like you want to play with us, McCloud." Leon screeched as he motioned to snatch out his blaster and shoot Fox right between the eyes.

"That's enough, Leon!" Wolf ordered as Leon reluctantly stopped reaching for his gun.

"You guys need to get a life and fuck off!" Falco yelled loudly at the team, ignoring the looks of all the people who were watching the fight.

"We just came here to introduce ourselves to your new teammate." Andrew chuckled as he made his way towards Jason. He brought his face up to him as Jason glared right back into his eyes.

"What's your name?" Andrew asked.

"Jason Evans." The coyote replied in disgust of Andrew's breath.

"Well, he sure does seem a bit feisty." Wolf chuckled evilly as he went up to the young Coyote.

Jason refused to look at Wolf. He looked like the epiphany of everything he despised. His breath smelled of alcohol and cigarette smoke as he began to taunt Jason.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Wolf gave Jason a sarcastic pouting face. "Too afraid to talk to friendly old Wolf?"

Jason raised his head, frowning like he was going to sock Wolf right in his one eyed face. But, he had a better idea.

"No sir." He replied in a nice manner.

Wolf rolled his eyes as he continued to taunt him.

"Nice hair, I'm surprised you didn't braid it."

The whole Star Wolf team erupted in obnoxious laughter as Jason glared for a brief moment. But, his expression softened after he thought of a comeback.

"Yeah, I guess I should." He began. " Oh! How could I have not recognized you before?"

Wolf raised an eyebrow, as he was completely baffled and confused.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"Now I know who you must be!" Jason stopped to build suspense for his team. He pointed a single finger to Wolf's eye patch and stated proudly.

"You must be…the monopoly guy!" he announced.

The whole room went silent. Then, suddenly, Falco burst out in a screeching laughter as he fell back in his chair. Fox, Krystal, Slippy, and the whole restaurant itself soon joined him in hysterics. Even Leon began to chuckle under his breath, but was immediately silenced by one of Wolf's dirty looks. He turned his head to Jason, who had his arms crossed with a big grin on his face. Wolf's rage soon faded as he offered his own comeback.

"Those are some big words for a trashy Coyote like yourself. You know… a punk?"

Star Wolf laughed even harder at Wolf's second offense. Jason bit his lip in hurt as his ears drooped down a bit.

"Aw, is he gonna cry?" Panther roared.

"Hey! Back off!" Krystal yelled at the over conceited feline.

"Oh shut your fucking face, bitch!" he screamed at the Vixen. Krystal jumped back at Panther's sudden outburst of hate.

"You have no right to be living, you…traitor!" he shrieked.

He immediately made his way to Krystal and grabbed her forcefully by the neck. Fox watched in horror as the brutish cat was strangling the woman he loved so much. It made him boil inside, it made hi want to scream out in rage, it made him want to murder…the doer.

As Fox and his teammates watched helplessly as Panther choked Krystal, he had a split second flashback…one that circled in his mind every time he went to sleep.

"_Fox, I will never rejoin…ever. I'm going with Star Wolf and Panther. Do not try and stop me._

"No." his mind said softly.

"You're nothing but a whore!" Panther spat in Krystal's face. "A filthy, degraded whore!"

"No." Fox whispered as a huge tear emerged from the corner of his eye and dropped like rain to the carpeted floor.

"Say goodbye to your life!" he roared once more as his grip tightened on the defenseless Vixen's throat. Her eyes began to roll to the back of her head as all she began to see was pitch black.

"NOOOO!" Fox yelled like a deranged beast.

Jason cocked his head to Fox, who immediately lunged for Panther. In mid air, Fox's fist clenched so hard, that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. That one bloody fist connected cleanly with Panther's jaw, shattering it like a piece of glass.

Panther cried out in pain as he fell to the floor. Krystal dropped to the floor with a deafening thud as she lost all consciousness. Her eyes closed softly as she drifted into slumber.

Fox was anything but done with Panther. While he was on the floor, Fox mounted him and punched his face in. He stopped for a brief moment to shriek at Panther.

"YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF!" he shouted in Panther's bruised and bloody face.

"YOU NEVER TOUCH HER! EVER!"

He continued to bash Panther as a stunned Jason, Falco, and Slippy finally tugged an infuriated Fox off of the cat.

Star Wolf picked Panther up as the sadistic cat struggled to stay conscious. He smiled evilly at Fox and shouted.

"You think you may have won! But, you keep watching the skies McCloud! "

Fox scraped for Panther once more, but his three teammates pulled him back and let him calm down.

Star Wolf exited the restaurant with a badly beaten up Panther as they made their way back to their HQ.

Star Fox decided to leave the restaurant to get Krystal some medical attention at the Great Fox.

"Please…" Fox cried mentally as he groped Krystal's unmoving hand. "Be okay!"

A tear fell from Fox on to Krystal's soft, blue fur.

OOO

Krystal was lying, still unconscious, in her bed on the Great Fox. It was the day after the incident at the restaurant and Fox was extremely worried for her. Peppy kept assuring Fox that Krystal was fine and would wake up any minute. But, Fox still very troubled for Krystal.

"I could've stopped him!" he mentally screamed. "I'm such an idiot!"

Fox suddenly heard a sound coming from Krystal's room. He dashed inside to see that Krystal was awake, and grasping her bruised throat in pain.

"Krystal! You're awake!" Fox exclaimed as he immediately went to her side.

"Hi, Fox." She said weakly.

Fox started to comfort Krystal as she let her lie down on her bed and rest for a bit.

"You need anything?" Fox asked concernedly.

Those three simple words made Krystal's heart melt. Fox could be so strong and brave, yet so caring and loving at the same time.

"No, I'm good." She replied lovingly.

They both stared into each other's eyes for a while, in complete astonishment of each other's beauty.

"So beautiful." Fox thought in ecstasy.

He sat with her on the edge of the bed to keep Krystal company. They talked for hours about how she was feeling among other topics.

"Well, thanks for rescuing me…again." She smiled at him as the blush on her blue furred face could be easily seen.

Fox's smile turned to that of a sad expression. He gripped the sheets in anger of himself as Krystal watched him worriedly.

"Fox, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Damn it!" he scolded himself. If I got to you quicker…you wouldn't be…"

Fox's self-scolding was suddenly silenced by a finger on his lips. The finger was blue furred and it touched Fox's lips in a way that could leave him with sweet dreams. The finger belonged to Krystal.

"Shh." He hushed the concerned Vulpine. "Don't put yourself down, Fox."

Fox almost fainted when Krystal's finger pulled away from his lips. The blush on his face made Krystal giggle softly.

"I just want you to be safe." He told her truthfully. "If you were hurt, or worse, killed, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. "

Krystal almost lost it when he said that. His words were so pure and true. There was no doubt in her mind that Fox wasn't lying to her.

"Thank you, Fox." She whispered as she hugged him lovingly.

"Heh, no problem." He breathed heavily as he felt Krystal's breasts up against his chest. He was burning red when Krystal pulled away giggling.

"Well, I… guess it's time for bed." Fox stammered as he got off of Krystal's bed and made his way to the door.

"Fox." Krystal began.

The Vulpine looked into her beautiful blue eyes as she said to him

"Sleep tight."

Fox smiled as he waved goodbye and turned off the light for Krystal.

They both stayed up that night in their beds, thinking of each other.

Author's Note: Sorry if my story sucks. I'm just trying to "unleash my imagination." LOL. Stay tuned for chapter 10!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Punk."

The word circled through Jason's mind the whole time he was sweating in bed. His eyes were wide open as he constantly thought of what Wolf had said to him at the restaurant. The thing that really burned Jason inside was that Wolf was right. Ever since his father died on that reconnaissance mission, Jason had become a mere shell of what he truly was. Playing in those dirty clubs was the only thing that kept him sane, ever since he was given the terrible news. Besides Wolf, even people from the academy would taunt Jason with that one simple word. Jason wondered if being a mercenary would truly make him happy.

Suddenly, a loud humming noise immediately jolted Jason from his thoughts as he sprung out of bed. His clock read 3:44 AM.

"What in the name of Corneria?" Jason mumbled hazily as he put on a t -shirt and a pair of shorts. He stumbled from his room to follow the peculiar noise. It seemed to be coming from the hanger area. Jason's ears perked up as he began to jog to the noise.

"I hope we're not under attack!" he thought as he burst into the hanger.

Then, Jason's eyes widened as his muzzle dropped. His heartbeat quickened as his mind exploded with different thoughts. His nervous expression soon turned to that of complete surprise and joy of the sight before him.

The hanger was completely engulfed with an eerie fog that built the suspense for the Coyote. Suddenly, Jason spotted a silver wing as it emerged from the fog. Then, the beast showed itself.

A beautiful, new Arwing was hovering up above the other ships as an unknown pilot guided it gently down to the hanger floor. The ship hissed as its engines powered down and finally turned off.

The canopy of the ship opened up to reveal Slippy, as he removed his flight gloves and jumped down from the beautiful ship to the hanger floor. His head snapped to an astonished Jason as a broad smile appeared on his green face. He went to the Coyote and stood next to him as the both marveled at the Arwing.

"It's a beauty, huh?" Slippy asked Jason.

Jason nodded his head in response as he moved to the ship to feel it.

His hand slid along the delicate side of the Arwing as he could feel the history of the Star Fox team living inside of it.

Jason had never seen such a great beauty in his entire life.

"She's yours by the way." Slippy called across the hanger to Jason.

Jason turned his head to Slippy, as he couldn't find the words to describe his happiness.

"Thank you, Slippy." He told him truthfully.

Slippy only smiled and replied.

"You deserve it."

With that, he exited the hanger to leave Jason alone with his Arwing.

That night, Jason just lied under his Arwing peacefully, and slept there for the rest of the night.

OOO

Fox woke up early in the morning to check all of the systems on the Great Fox. As the captain, it was his job to make sure that everything was intact on the ship.

"Okay, time to check the hanger." Fox mumbled sleepily as he took a shower, got dressed, and headed towards the hanger.

Fox walked very slowly passed Krystal's door so that he wouldn't rudely awake the person he adored so much. But, to his surprise, he heard some noise inside her room.

"Is Krystal awake?" Fox thought aloud as he put his ear to the door.

As a matter of fact, she was well awake. Through a tiny crack in her door, Fox could see Krystal, sitting up in her bed as she straightened her hair out. To Fox, watching Krystal do anything could be considered beautiful. He was so obsessed with her that he forgot to check anything onboard. But, that didn't matter to the love drunk Vulpine as he watched her slip into her bathroom and close the door.

Suddenly, Fox retracted his head from the tiny crack and shook his head.

"I shouldn't be spying on her like this!" Fox spat to himself mentally. "What if she heard me?"

Fox decided that it was time to check everything onboard so that Peppy wouldn't scold him about it.

OOO

Jason's eyes opened slowly to see the belly of his new ship right above him. He sighed contently as he got out from under the Arwing and stretched. Suddenly, he saw Fox entering the hanger.

"Morning, Fox!" Jason chimed happily.

"Hey, Jason." Fox greeted. "Sleep well?"

Jason took one last look at his Arwing before answering Fox.

"I sure did."

Fox went next to Jason as he gazed at the rookie's new ship. He let out a whistle as he crossed his arms in interest.

"I see you finally got your Arwing." He said to Jason.

"Yep." He replied.

Fox chuckled and patted Jason on the back.

"You'll do just fine flying that piece of beauty. I know you will."

Jason turned his head to fox and smiled.

"Thanks, Fox."

"No problem." He replied kindly. "Now, go shower up, and maybe you can fly that thing!"

Jason did just that as he exited the hanger happily. Fox smiled as he saw Jason exit.

"He's going to be something big when he gets older." Fox thought as he exited the Arwing to check on all the other systems.

As the Vulpine walked through the hallways of the Great Fox, his mind once again drifted off as he thought about Krystal.

"She's so beautiful. Everything about her makes me feel so amazing inside. If I could just tell her how I feel."

Fox immediately dismissed the thought of telling Krystal that he loved her. After kicking her off the team, he felt so undeserving of her that he was surprised when she agreed to join the team again.

"Still, I do love you Krystal." He sighed sadly.

"Hey, Fox." A voice greeted from behind him.

Fox turned around to see his best friend, Falco, chewing on a piece of cinnamon toast.

"Hey, Falco." Fox replied to the Avian. "What's up?"

Falco lay back against the wall as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, nothing." He mumbled as he took another bite of his toast. "Did you see Jason's Arwing?"

Fox smiled broadly.

"Of course. He was pretty damn excited about it."

Falco looked at his friend concernedly and asked randomly. "You okay?"

Fox's ears perked up in confusion as he asked.

"Well yeah. But why?"

Falco just put an arm around his arm and sighed.

"You just seem pretty down in the dumps. "

Fox shook his head and replied.

"Heh, no way, man. I'm fine."

Falco just rolled his eyes and asked.

"Is it Krystal?"

Fox's expression soon turned to that of surprise, as he couldn't believe that Falco was right. He lowered his head in defeat and replied softly.

"Yeah."

Falco nudged him reassuringly and said.

"Fox, you and I have been friends since the very beginning. I know you well enough that you are perfect for Krystal!"

Fox raised his head and smiled weakly.

"I don't know, Falco. I just can't figure out a good way to tell her."

"Trust me, Fox!" he said as he grabbed both of his shoulders. "You two will make it together!"

Fox let a better smile creep along his face as he replied.

"Thanks, Falco. I'll think about it."

"That's more like it!" Falco exclaimed as he patted his great friend on the back.

"Now, I'm going to go have some breakfast. Want to come?"

Fox nodded.

"I will, but first, I have to check all the systems. Then, I'll join you."

Falco gave Fox a high five as he headed off to breakfast.

"You can do it, Fox!" Falco thought as he entered the kitchen. "I know you can!"

Author's Note: Well, there's chapter 10. Sorry if it's boring. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

P.S: I hope I'm not getting off topic between my OC and Fox &Krystal. Please let me know if I am.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The stars shined in a very peculiar way to Jason as he stared at the cold, lifeless void of space from inside his Arwing. They showed off their breathtaking light and beauty as his ship whizzed past each of them. In a way, they reminded him of the days when he would look in books or magazines of the many planets and other wonderful sights that the Lylat system had to offer. Never before did he think that he would ever see the real thing right before his very eyes.

"It's like I'm in those books I read as a child." He thought happily. "This is the Lylat's very essence."

Jason was quite proficient for his first few times in the Arwing. To Jason, it was just like any other ordinary ship he had ever flown in the academy, except for the fact that this ship was more professional and well known.

Jason was rudely snatched from his recollections on his childhood when an incredibly annoying beeping noise filled his cockpit. Jason frowned at the flashing red light, which indicated that he was low on fuel.

"Oops!" Jason exclaimed. " Better head back to the Fox."

Jason piloted his Arwing back to the Great Fox carefully as he entered the hanger and gently landed down to the steel floor. Jason noticed that Fox was waiting for him.

Jason greeted him nicely as Fox did the same. Jason hopped out of the beautiful ship and landed on the floor.

"Took her out for a spin again, eh?" Fox chuckled as Jason replied.

"Can't get enough!"

Fox could only chuckle even more at the rookie pilot. His eagerness and passion to fly reminded him of when he was that age.

"Okay, Jason. Time for some dinner!" Fox patted Jason on the back as they headed to the kitchen.

"What're we having?" Jason asked curiously.

"Just some chicken, rice, potatoes, and asparagus." Fox answered. "Peppy cooked it all."

"Sounds great!" Jason exclaimed as the two pilots entered the kitchen with empty stomachs in need of nourishment.

Krystal was ready at the table along with Falco and Slippy. They all looked extremely hungry as their minds circled around the topic of food and satisfaction.

"Man, what's taking Peppy so long?" Falco complained.

"He said it was going to take a while, Falco!" Slippy snapped back. "Be patient!"

Falco rolled his eyes as he played with his utensils.

Fox sat right between Krystal and Jason as they eagerly awaited their food.

"Hey Fox. How're you?" Krystal asked the Vulpine.

"Oh, just fine. I did some paperwork and checked all the fuel systems. But, nothing really eventful happened. " Fox replied nervously. "You?"

"Same." She replied plainly. " Just cleaned my Arwing and sorted out some things with General Pepper about shipments."

"How is he?" Jason asked curiously.

"He's doing well." Krystal said. "He'll be retiring in a few years, so I guess he has a lot to look forward to."

The conversation was interrupted by Peppy appearing with two large plates. The first plate he placed on the table contained juicy, breathtaking chicken. The second plate had asparagus and six baked potatoes.

"Well, here you guys go. Get what you want to drink." Peppy said as he laid out a bowl of rice and grabbed a cup from the cabinet.

After Star Fox enjoyed their savory and delicious meal, they all parted ways for the night.

Jason returned to his room to just relax and find something to do. As he entered the room, he noticed the guitar he had was leaning on the dresser. There was so much history behind that old, cheap guitar. Jason grabbed it and began to fiddle with it randomly. The sounds and screeches the guitar made reminded him solely of how he and his Dad would drive the neighbors crazy with their loud, raunchy, rock and roll music.

Jason could remember when his Dad taught him how to play the graceful and powerful instrument:

"_Ow!" A young Coyote wailed as he tried to play one of the chords his Dad taught him to practice. _

_A door opening and a friendly, older Coyote entering the house interrupted the Coyote's practicing._

"_Daddy!" the child exclaimed as he rushed into his father's arms._

"_Hey Jason!" The father replied happily as he hugged Jason tight. _

"_How was work? Did you give Andross what for?" Jason asked hopefully._

_The father, a happy and healthy Don Evans, chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair playfully._

"_No, not yet, ya little scamp!" he said playfully. "So, how's the guitar coming?" _

_Jason's ears drooped down a bit as he replied sadly._

"_It's way too hard. I don't think I'm good enough for it." _

"_Oh, pish posh!" Don denied as he patted him on the back._

_Jason laughed in a very cute way whenever Don used funny phrases or words. _

"_Here, let me help you." He invited as they both approached the guitar._

_Don placed the guitar in his son's hands and handed him the small, red pick. _

"_Here, try a C chord." He told his son as Jason readied himself._

_Jason played the chord. It didn't sound bad, but he just wasn't pressing down on the fret board hard enough._

"_That sounded alright." Don said as he placed his hand on Jason's. "But, just press down a bit harder."_

_Jason felt his fingers put more weight on the fret board as he strummed again. This time, the sound projected by the guitar from the sound hole was much more clear and clean._

"_Beautiful! Now try a D chord." Don chanted as Jason played another perfect chord._

_The rest of the night, Jason just learned the guitar with his loving Dad. He had never felt so attached to one instrument other than the drums. _

Now, whenever Jason used that timeless instrument, memories of his father kept floating around him. The sounds of the guitar reminded him of his soulful voice and the wood and the guitar made him recall his Dad's old -fashioned personality and how he stood out in musical interest from the rest.

"I still remember the first song we ever played together." Jason recalled as he strummed three basic chords.

"That good old Buddy Holly tune we listened to in the car…"

Jason played his guitar in a lovely tune, which let his mind go as he could feel the music coursing around his brain.

He started to sing in a slightly low voice, which echoed around his room.

**Hold me close and tell me how you feel**

**Tell me love is real**

**Words of love you, whisper soft and true**

**Darling I love you **

**Let me hear you say the words I want to hear**

**Darling, when you're near**

**Words of love you, whisper soft and true**

**Darling I love you**

Jason ended the song with him humming the melody of the song.

Suddenly, Jason started to hear something. It sounded like two objects colliding with each other from outside his room. Jason snapped his head to his slightly opened door to see a sapphire blue Vixen, clapping her hands and smiling.

"I knew I should have closed that damn door!" Jason scolded himself as he faced Krystal.

"Once again, Jason, I'm amazed!" Krystal exclaimed as she approached Jason.

"Yeah. And once again…I'm not that good!" Jason laughed as he put his guitar away carefully.

"Oh, shut up! You're good and you know it!" Krystal nudged him playfully as Jason did the same.

"Anyways." She continued. "How's the songwriting coming?"

Jason chuckled at her question as if it were a hilarious joke.

"Krystal, you know that I can't write a song! I can write poems all right. But songs, I just have no inspiration!"

Krystal sighed with a hit of vexation in her breath as she continued to beg the Coyote to write a song. Jason decided that he'd had enough and said in defeat

"Okay! Okay! I'll think about it!"

Krystal patted him on the back and said kindly.

"You can do it my friend." and headed off.

Jason fell back on to his bed and sighed.

"Write a song?" his mind constantly pondered. " Heck, that has to be the hardest task in the universe!"

Jason just decided to drop the thought and get some rest.

Author's Note:

This one may have been a bit boring, but it's the best I can do. Listen, I know I can never be a great writer like Cpt. Fox or some other authors on this site, but this is one of the things I love to do. I'm not trying to sound like a compliment craver, but I just want to tell you all that I am very grateful for your comments. They make me feel like my skills as a writer are improving. Anyways, let me know if you liked this chapter or hated it. BE HONEST! LOL

Stay tuned for chapter 12

P.S: Song: Words of love

Artist: Buddy Holly

Check it out on you tube or something!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The afternoon of the day awakened with the sounds of cars screeching down a busy highway. In a dark alley in the bad neighborhoods of Corneria, a black furred, and horrible mannered Panther Caroso smoked his cigarette with a devilish grin on his smug face. His face was scarred with cuts from Fox's vicious beatings. Panther remembered the incident vividly. Now, he was going to bring justice to the only person he cared about. That person was himself.

"Just wait McCloud." He murmured evilly. "Panther will kill you once you take flight again. And then, your darling Krystal will be mine!"

Panther roared in a malicious laugh as it echoed through the dark alleyway. Right now, he would not stop until Fox McCloud was dead.

OOO

Jason was walking around the Great Fox lazily as he checked off all the work he had to do for the day.

"Okay, so, I cleaned my Arwing, checked the engines, and helped move in supplies, yeah, I'm done!" Jason thought as he went into the kitchen to get himself a snack.

"Boy, all this work is making me go nuts with hunger!" Jason laughed as he grabbed a protein bar from the pantry and stuffed it in his mouth. He sighed contently as the bar already started to provide nourishment for Jason's system.

"That's better." Jason chimed. "Now, let's see how the others are."

At that particular moment, Jason heard a loud scream of frustration and another screech of laughter coming from Slippy's room. Jason chuckled heartily as he hung his head in hysterics.

"I guess Slippy is getting the best of Falco in that Zombie game he bought last week." He laughed as he walked through the corridor of the Great Fox.

000

Fox was watching the stars drift by as he stared out blankly into space. Krystal was still circling his mind as he put his forehead up against the glass window and sighed.

"I can't get her out of my head!" He thought. "She's just too amazing to not think about!"

"Fox?"

Fox's ears shot up in surprise as his mouth went dry. His face turned into a light shade of red as he turned around and laid eyes on the voluptuous Vixen before him. She wore a black tank top that hugged her upper body. She wore rather small and revealing shorts that almost caused Fox's nose to bleed in complete arousal.

"You okay?" Krystal asked her secret crush as she went next to him and stared out into space with him.

"Ye-yeah." Fox struggled to talk as he continued to take in Krystal's breathtaking appearance.

"She doesn't even try to look pretty around anyone." Fox thought dreamily. "But it's impossible for her. She's just so beautiful."

Fox smiled to himself as he turned his head back to the window as he shared the eerie void of space with the most beautiful Vixen he ever had the privilege to know.

"Never knew that utter blackness could have so much meaning." Krystal muttered as she fell deeply into space's enticing spell. "It's so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." Fox thought truthfully after her statement. "Nothing can come close to how stunning you are."

Krystal then turned her head to Fox and smiled warmly.

"I heard Jason playing guitar again." She laughed quietly. "He really loves it."

Fox just shook his head.

"So that was that noise coming from his room." He chuckled.

"Sorry." She giggled. "I really think he has something though."

Fox just nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I see something in him, I just hope that he can unlock his full potential for real battles."

What Fox was saying was very true. Whenever he woke up in the morning, he would always hear the sound of weights clanking and rock music playing when Jason trained. He did it almost like he couldn't live without just getting a few exercises into his daily routine. Fox found it amazing that Jason wouldn't take one day off. He was always working and willing to do anything for his teammates. But, to Jason, it was completely normal.

Suddenly, the Coyote emerged from the other side of the hall as he immediately spotted Fox and Krystal. The Vulpine and the Vixen turned their heads and greeted Jason kindly.

"Hi, Jason!" They said in unison.

"Hey guys, what's new?" Jason replied.

"Oh, nothing really." Krystal said. "Just watching space."

"Nice." Jason responded.

Jason yawned as he cracked his neck loudly with his hands.

"Well." He sighed. "I'm going to go hit the hay. It's almost bedtime for me."

Fox laughed hysterically,

"What are you, six years old? Jason, you can stay up as late as you want!"

Jason just shrugged coolly and replied.

"You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm…I think."

All three teammates laughed in unison as Jason headed back to his quarters to rest for the night.

"Boy, he does have a lot of morals!" Krystal giggled as she watched him walk off.

"Heh, yeah." Fox chuckled.

The two Foxes were facing each other as blushes became apparent on their faces. Fox's was an ordinary blood red, while Krystal's blue fur made her blush purple.

"Well, I'm going to go do some work." Krystal said. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Fox put a hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it nervously.

"Of course… I mean… yeah."

Krystal giggled in such a cute way when she saw Fox so shy and nervous. She found it so adorable on how he would act like this around her.

"Night, Fox." She whispered.

"Night." Fox replied shakily.

Krystal wrapped her graceful arms around the surprised Vulpine's upper body and hugged him tight. Fox became entirely smitten by Krystal's actions and hugged her back. Krystal loved the feeling of Fox's strong arms caressing her body. She felt safe and protected in them. Krystal drew back and smiled at Fox before heading off to her room.

Fox couldn't help but ogle Krystal's perfect figure as she entered her room and went to sleep.

"God, it's like I'm living with an angel…"

Fox smiled as he went back to his quarters to do his work.

OOO

_A dazed and confused Jason found himself running blindly through an endless hallway. He had no idea where he was or what he was doing. _

"_Why am I running?" Jason thought. "I can't stop myself!"_

_Suddenly, a figure in the distance became noticeable, as Jason got closer to it._

"_What's that?" Jason asked himself as he continued to run to the figure. _

_Then, Jason stopped as his muzzle dropped. There, in the distance was a familiar face that left him years ago. A Coyote with darker fur and green eyes smiled at the stunned Jason._

"_Jason!" He exclaimed._

_Jason felt tears running down his cheeks as he stepped closer to someone who looked too alive to be real._

"_F-Father?" Jason tearfully approached him even closer._

_Suddenly, the Coyote turned to dust and faded away._

"_DAD!" Jason yelled as the horrific sight scarred him._

_Then, Jason felt himself falling into a bottomless pit. He lost consciousness._

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Jason screamed as he finally became awake. The dream he experienced seemed so real, but it wasn't.

"Dad." Jason said softly as he cried himself to sleep.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. Stay tuned for Chapter 13


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Coyote's fur was covered in sweat and his whole body felt numb. The previous dream Jason had experienced really shook him up emotionally. It took him a while to go back to sleep after his nightmare. The bags under his eyes resembled a distraught and disoriented man who had trouble letting go of what had happened to him.

"I have to pull myself together." Jason murmured as he looked at this reflection in the mirror. "I don't want to make people depressed by just looking at me!"

He shook some sweat off of his head fur as he entered the shower to get rid of the unpleasant aroma it created.

A naked Jason let the hot water splash on to his face as he sighed.

" Man, I needed this."

He grabbed the fur shampoo that rested on a small platform above Jason. He grabbed it and squirted one big glob of it in his paws. He rubbed his hands to let the shampoo become all foamy and white. After that, he rubbed it in his long, wavy hair.

Jason let the hot water wash the rest of the shampoo out of his hair as he turned it off and stepped out.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road!" he bellowed as he put on his clothes, stretched a bit, and jogged out of his room.

OOO

Peppy was in the Great Fox's control center as he carefully studied the new maps he recently received.

"Okay, so this pathway leads to this city…" he examined the map he was reading as he scratched his head.

"Hey, Peppy." Fox called out as he entered the room with a kind smile.

"Hey, how ya doing, kiddo?" Peppy chimed as he rested back in his chair.

Fox sat next to Peppy in another chair as he rested his head back and watched space with his mentor.

"I'm fine." He replied.

Peppy gave a rather cheeky grin in Fox's direction as he asked him.

"How about Krystal?"

Fox became immediately flustered by the question as he replied.

"Oh…you know…she's fine."

Peppy continued to ask Fox about Krystal.

"How's her neck?"

"Fine."

"Does it hurt for her?"

"Not anymore."

"Is she talking well?"

"Peppy, what is this, twenty questions?"

Fox realized that his annoyed attitude made him snap at a man who had been like a father to him.

"Sorry, Peppy." Fox sheepishly sighed as rubbed his arm. "I just still feel a little shaky after…

"I know, Fox." Peppy interrupted. "And she even tells me that she forgives you for kicking her off. So, don't worry about it."

Fox smiled warmly. Peppy always brought out the best in everyone. It was almost as if he was some kind of saint to the team.

"Well, I got to go train for a little." Fox said as he rose up from his chair and walked to the door.

"Fox, wait!" Peppy said as Fox turned around.

Peppy smiled kindly to Fox as he said.

"Go get her."

Fox laughed a bit at Peppy's statement as he headed out the door.

Peppy chuckled for a while before returning to his work.

"Oh, that boy." He murmured.

OOO

"75…76…77…" Fox was nearly working himself to death with his pushups as an endless amount of sweat dripped from his forehead and made a small puddle on the floor.

"Almost there!" He grunted as he reached 90 pushups.

"97…98…99…100!" Fox breathed in complete exhaustion as he rested his body on the floor. A grin of satisfaction spread on his tired face as he said weakly

"Alright, time to hit the showers."

Fox got up, wiped his face with a nearby towel, and headed to his room to wash up.

As Fox walked down the corridor, his mind began to drift off to the only person he truly loved.

"Krystal, I love you more than anything." He thought happily.

Suddenly, Fox saw Slippy running towards him with a look of urgency on his face.

"He must have big news!" he murmured as Slippy reached him.

"Hey, Fox! I have some big news!" Slippy said.

"Wow, I knew it!" Fox laughed mentally.

"Well, tell me Slip!" he demanded.

Slippy let a broad smile cross his face as he reported.

"I just received a call from an old friend!"

"Who?" Fox asked curiously.

"Miyu!" he chimed.

Fox let an instant grin cross his face as the name rang through his ears.

"That's a name I haven't heard in a long time." He said happily. "What does she need? Equipment? Weapons? Fuel?"

Slippy shook his head at all three suggestions.

"No, Fox." He began. " She wants to rejoin the team again!"

Fox's grin became even wider with what he had just heard.

"Really?" Fox asked.

Slippy nodded his head joyfully.

"Okay, tell her to call me again and I'll let her know when to come!" he told Slippy.

Slippy gave Fox an understood nod as he headed down the corridor.

Fox put his hands on his hips as he thought.

"This is going to be one wild year!"

OOO

Jason was alone, in his room, with his guitar in his hands. He finished all his work, and he was giving Krystal's suggestion to write a song a go.

"Okay, Jason." He murmured to himself. "You can do this."

Jason began to think as he strummed his guitar randomly, looking for the right chords that would fit into his song. The first one he tried seemed over used, the second one sounded messy and discombobulated, and the third one just didn't fit the mood of what he was trying to write.

"Damn, this is frustrating!" he exclaimed as he set his guitar down on his bed and gave a pouting look to the wall.

Then, he heard a knock come from his door.

"Come." He replied to the knocking as Falco entered the room.

"Hey Jason!" He exclaimed happily. "What ya doing?"

Jason fell back on his bed and groaned.

"I'm trying to write a song. But, it's just too…too…"

"Frustrating?" Falco asked.

Jason let a stunned expression cross his face as he replied.

"Ye…yeah. But, what do you know about it?"

Falco laughed hysterically as he held up a finger.

"Wait, I'll be right back."

He exited the room for a brief moment and then returned with some pieces of paper in his hands.

"This is the stuff I wrote back in High School when Fox and I were jamming." He explained. "Take a look."

Jason read over the lyrics of the songs Falco wrote. They included some colorful vocabulary along with dark words. Jason's ears contorted with the unpleasant lyrics a she couldn't read any more. It wasn't that Jason didn't like the sings. It was just that he wasn't into that sort of rock

"Uh, cool." Jason said uneasily as he set the papers down and patted them tenderly.

"You see, Jason, when I wrote those songs, I tried to make them as heavy as possible. Since I'm more of a heavy metal guy, I enjoy writing that stuff." Falco said to Jason.

Jason nodded, as he understood what Falco was saying.

"What do you want to write about?" Falco asked curiously.

Jason scratched his head as he answered.

"Well, the heaviest I can go in music is probably stuff like Led Zeppelin or AC/DC. But, I'm more of a fan of traditional rock. You know, like classic."

Falco nodded his head.

"What kind of songs are you more interested in? Love? Party? Other?"

"I guess love." Jason answered. "More meaningful, gets me going in the morning."

Falco smiled.

"Well, why not write about that?"

"Falco, people write love songs from experience. I've never been in a relationship."

"So?"

Jason couldn't respond.

"Tell you what, Jason." Falco began. "How about I help you with this? It couldn't hurt to have and extra hand to write songs with."

Jason found noting wrong with that suggestion. It could get his songwriting a big boost.

"Well, okay, if it doesn't take away from your day."

"Oh, don't worry about my day. Nothing urgent is going on."

Suddenly, out of the blue, Peppy burst in through the door,

"We need to get out there! Pronto!"

"Why?" they asked in unison. 

"Star Wolf!" Peppy shouted. "That's why!"

Author's note: And….CLIFF HANGER! Ha! Ha!

Well, Looks like Jason solved a few small problems, but his greatest challenge will occur in the next chapter!

Stay Tuned!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What do you want, Wolf?" Fox snarled as he glared intensely at a snickering Wolf O'Donnell through a crackling monitor in the control room of the Great Fox.

The lupine erupted in laughter as Fox clenched his fists in hate and growled.

"You think we're going to let that little incident at the restaurant go unpunished?" he cackled. " Man, I knew you were dumb, Fox. But not retarded."

Fox felt like grabbing a chair and chucking it right at the screen that showed Wolf's smug face, but he knew he had to keep cool.

"I knew you'd come back." Fox growled. "But not so unprepared for what you're about to face."

Wolf raised an eyebrow.

"And why would my team be so unprepared?" he questioned his hated rival.

"I know you're not ready, Wolf. We outnumber you dumbasses by one pilot, who just happens to be one of the best pilots I've ever seen in a long time."

"You mean the punk kid?" Wolf asked Fox.

Fox smiled sadistically as he nodded his head.

"Oh yeah. Jason will tear you limb by limb! He has capabilities that I don't even posses. He has a potential that General Pepper was able to see when he trained, and I tell you what, it is something for you to be afraid of! So, all in all, I think you guys are as screwed as you're ever going to be!"

Wolf glared down at Fox as Fox crossed his arms and glared right back.

"We'll see, pup. Prepare to die!" he roared.

Fox smiled.

"See you in space."

OOO

The Star Fox team sprung into immediate action when they heard the news. A red alarm blared in an annoying squawking noise as the team entered their Arwings. Jason's heart pounded like a drum as the canopy of his ship hissed and then closed. He looked over at Falco, who saw him. Falco smiled and gave him a friendly thumbs up.

"It's amazing!" Jason thought. "I've already flown these ships, but I can't help but feel inexperienced at this point."

Peppy's voice crackled over the intercom.

"Alright guys, we know what Star Wolf does and what their certain habits are. Don't give in to their taunting and mind games. Now, good luck and god speed!"

With that, Jason was propelled back into the seat of his Arwing as his engine hummed to life. His ship began to move faster and faster towards the exit of the hanger as his heart rate increased.

"R.O.B, launch all ships on my mark." Peppy ordered the mechanical robot of the Great Fox.

"**Yes sir." ** He replied in his plain voice.

Fox and his team were just about at the exit when Peppy yelled

"Now!"

The restraining hooks that held the Arwings in place released the graceful ships as they all exited the hanger and zoomed into the vastness of space. Jason turned his head on a swivel as he desperately searched for Star Wolf.

"Where are they?" Slippy asked on his communicator.

"Give it time, Slippy." Fox answered. "Just be ready!"

Krystal searched frantically for their rival team when suddenly, a flash of light twinkled across her eyes. She snapped her head to see four tiny dots in the distance. They were close to the Lylat sun, which gave away their identity.

"Star Wolf." She thought.

"Fox, I got them at 9:00." She announced as her ship charged forward for the four spots.

"Nice eye, Krystal." Fox commented as the rest of the team followed her to the area.

"Something seems odd though." Falco said. "Why would they expose themselves like that? It doesn't make…"

Falco grunted loudly as a blast from another ship rocked his Arwing around.

"Damn!" He yelled as he searched around for what caused his Arwing to take damage.

"Miss us, birdie?" Andrew laughed hysterically as he dove in on Falco with his ship, the Wolfen.

The whole team was left in complete surprise as the two teams emerged into a dogfight.

"What? How?" Slippy questioned as Panther roared in laughter.

"We knew you'd fall for our little decoy trick!" he cackled. "Now, let's end this Fox!"

Fox growled as he piloted his Arwing in a full loop, as he was eager to find Panther's Wolfen.

"Come on you dirty bastard." He clenched his teeth in frustration. "Where are you?"

"Fox! You got one on you!" Jason alerted as Fox looked behind his seat to see Panther's Wolfen directly behind his Arwing.

"Die!" he yelled sadistically as his Wolfen spat red lasers that whizzed past Fox's ship.

"I need some help here, guys!" Fox said nervously as he performed various different maneuvers to avoid Panther.

"Got it!" Falco answered as his ship did a full barrel roll and found the Wolfen trailing behind Fox.

Falco watched the ship carefully as he looked to pull the trigger.

"Just a few more feet." He said to himself as his Arwing glided slowly toward Panther's Wolfen.

The scope that was placed right in front of Falco gave him a better look at the rear of the Wolfen as it edged closer to the center point.

"Come on…come on." He mumbled as the red blip that represented the Wolfen made it to the center of the scope.

"Ha! Got you ya prick!" He shouted as green laser fire streaked past Panther's Wolfen. A few shot's from Falco were able to hit Panther's ship as the cat growled furiously.

"Panther will make you pay!" he roared.

Suddenly, Panther heard a familiar giggle come from a certain Coyote.

"He did it again!" Jason chuckled as he tried to focus on the fight.

Panther growled once more as he ended chasing Fox and looked for a new target.

"Nice shot, Falco." Jason said as he piloted his Arwing, looking for a target.

"Ah, if it isn't the little punk!" Wolf screeched as he piloted his Wolfen behind Jason's Arwing.

"Shit!" Jason cursed loudly as red lasers streaked past his ship and left a few scratched on his Arwing.

"I need help, but everyone is occupied!" he thought in a panic. "What do I do?"

"No one can save you now!" Wolf barked as he continued to fire.

"I have to do something!" Jason thought aloud as he continued his thinking.

"Wait, what if I…"

Jason shook his head at his thought.

"Am I crazy? It's my first dogfight and I'm thinking about pulling a move like that?" he scolded himself.

Suddenly, a red light on his control panel indicated that his shields were down on his Arwing. Jason's eyes dilated, as he couldn't believe he was in this much trouble.

"A couple more hits, and I'm fried!" he panicked mentally. "Fuck it, it's now or never!"

Jason braced himself as he grasped the joystick of his ship forcefully…and closed his eyes.

"I have you now, Coyote!" Wolf laughed as he prepared to shoot.

"May God be with me." Jason prayed to himself as he pulled the joystick forcefully.

Wolf's cocky expression soon turned to disbelief, as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What the hell?" he muttered as he saw Jason's Arwing tilt it's nose upward. Jason's Arwing rose higher and higher into the lifeless air of space as Jason was forced back into his seat.

"Jason, what are you doing?" Fox asked worriedly as he too was gazing in a stunned state of expression at Jason's bold maneuver.

"Let's rock!" Jason yelled as his ship did a complete somersault over Wolf's Wolfen and did about seven barrel rolls. Jason's eyes narrowed as he was in mid air, shooting at other Star Wolf pilots, who were surprised by the amount of damage they took.

"I can't fail!" Jason thought as he finally made it behind Wolf's Arwing. Wolf looked back in disbelief to see Jason behind him. It was as if his prey had become the predator.

"Take this!" Jason roared triumphantly as he caused huge damage to Wolf's Wolfen with his sizzling green laser fire. Tiny holes emerged in the Wolfen as smoke began to form from the tail of the ship. Wolf snarled in defeat as he saw that he would be history if he continued fighting.

"Damn! One more hit and I'm toast! You'll play for that, you little punk!"

Wolf reluctantly called off his team in defeat as Star Fox flew back home peacefully, still stunned by Jason's unbelievable move.

OOO

"HOW THE FUCKING HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Falco exclaimed as he walked alongside Jason in the corridor.

Jason just shrugged and replied coolly.

"Sometimes, you have to risk your life to save others."

Falco just shook his head and laughed.

"Man! And I thought I was the ace pilot around here!"

"Oh, you are!" Jason snapped back. "It's just one fancy maneuver I practiced back in the academy. What you do is far beyond my capabilities!"

Falco just shrugged back and stated.

"Whatever. It's getting late. I'm going to go get some shut eye."

"Okay, Falco. Rest well." Jason replied.

Falco nodded and headed to his quarters. Jason was about to do the same when he heard Falco's voice once again.

"Hey, Jason?"

"Yeah."

" I'll stop by tomorrow and help with your "masterpiece." He laughed heartily as Jason laughed along with him.

"Okay man, see you in the morning."

"Yep."

Jason was exhilarated about how well he did on his first taste of action with the team. He had never felt so ecstatic in his entire life.

"It's only just begun." He mumbled as he headed back into his room for that night.

OOO

Author's Note: Well that was one long chapter I wrote, at least for me. LOL.

So, about Miyu, I'll introduce her in the next chapter.

Sorry if the dogfight was lame or rushed. Just trying to put some action in there.

See ya around!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Fox still had a lot on his weary mind. Even while trying to blow of steam from the previous battle, he still couldn't get his mind off the gorgeous blue Vixen. He sat there, on his bed; as he drove himself mad thinking of Krystal. She was so perfect, so unique, so sensitive and caring for others, and to top it all off, she even forgave him after what he did that one horrible day.

"Life gets harder when I think of you." He mumbled sadly as he decided to take a short nap. He curled up under the blue colored blanket as his tail went between his legs.

"Krystal…I'm so sorry."

OOO

A sleeping Coyote with bags under his eyes laid on his bed in complete frustration. Crumpled up balls of paper were scattered around a nearby trash bin

"Must…finish…song!" Jason breathed as his mind was completely fried.

A piece of slightly crumpled paper with some scribbled out words written on it and a chewed pencil rested on the Coyote's desk as he tried to cool off from his exhausting work. Jason just sat on chair by his bed as he strummed his guitar, looking for a correct chord pattern that would fit the song.

"Man, I knew it was going to be hard… but not impossible!" He muttered in utter frustration as he wrote down another chord pattern on his notepad.

A loud knock on the door caused Jason snap his head to the source of the sound.

"That must be Falco." Jason thought as he headed for the door.

Jason walked over to his door and unlocked it. He opened the door to find Falco with a peculiar case in his hand.

"What's up?" He said nonchalantly as he entered Jason's room.

"Hey." Jason replied.

Falco set his case down on the bed and headed over next to Jason.

"Well…should we get started?" Falco asked Jason.

"Yep. Let's do it!" Jason said as he grabbed his guitar and sat down on the bed.

Falco smiled at the eager Coyote as he plopped down on the bed.

"Okay, so let's see what you got so far." Falco motioned to Jason to hand him what he had written down.

"Well, here's the chord pattern first." Jason said as he handed Falco his notepad. Falco studied the chords carefully as he pictured the sound in his head. He nodded at some parts, but raised a brow of doubt at some other parts.

He set the notepad down, looked at Jason dead in the eye, and said to him with a straight face,

"It's a bit repetitive."

Jason's heart shattered when he heard that. All the things he had been working on for the past couple of days literally drained him. Now, he was being immediately criticized.

His ears drooped down as he stared at the floor in shame.

"But…"

Jason's head immediately focused his attention to Falco's face as the Avian said.

"There are some good parts. I like what you did with the verse. "

Jason forced a weak smile across his face as Falco set the notepad down next to him and grabbed his case behind him.

"Here, I want to show you something." Falco told Jason as he opened up the guitar shaped case carefully and announced

"This is the bass I used when I was in High School. Peppy gave it to me as a gift."

Falco took out the beautiful instrument cautiously and set it on his lap. Jason's eyes dilated, as he couldn't take his eyes off the wonderfully crafted bass.

"It's an old Gibson Thunderbird." He told Jason proudly. "I used to use this baby for hours and hours in my room, trying to learn all of the hit songs."

"Wow." Jason managed to say as he was still fixed on the mesmerizing tool of rock. The bass had a light brown color with two pitch-black pickups. It included three rotational controls to balance the tone and volume of the instrument along with four shining silver tuning pegs to tune the bass.

Falco laughed at the hypnotized Coyote as Jason snapped back into reality.

"You like it?" Falco asked.

"Heh, it's awesome." Jason replied.

"What guitar is that?" Falco asked as he pointed to Jason's cheap and out dated acoustic guitar.

Jason fiddled with the instrument as he explained to Falco.

"It's an old Takamine guitar. I got this thing for only $600.00."

Falco nodded.

"That cheap, eh?"

"Yep. But I love this damn thing." Jason replied. "My Dad got it for me when I was about seven."

Falco just shook his head and laughed.

"So, Papa's alright with you being a mercenary with Star Fox?"

Jason's expression became a little heartbroken at the fact that his Dad never got to see him grow up and do big things.

"Well…he would've loved it." Jason managed to mutter as tiny tears formed in his eyes,

"What do you mean?" Falco asked with a concerned look.

"Actually, Falco, my Dad…well…died."

Falco mentally kicked himself in the mouth for getting his new friend down. It killed him inside to se such a nice, well mannered, and happy young person become depressed.

Falco patted the saddened Jason on the back and said.

"Hey, don't sweat it, kid. Actually, you're no different from the rest of us."

Jason raised his head and asked.

"What are you saying?"

Falco lay back on Jason's bed and rested his hands behind his head.

"We've all had tragedies with our parents, dude." Falco explained. "In fact, my parents died as well. So, you're not alone."

Jason nodded and felt more comfortable talking about his family life with Falco. After their conversation, they got to work and had to literally use all their mental strength to create just one measly song. They edited, added, and thought of different ways to meet Krystal's demand.

But, for Jason, this wasn't about Krystal. This was about his destiny as a musician.

OOO

There was an exhausted and overworked Coyote as he was sprawled out on his bed. Sheets of music were by his bedside while the rest of his room was a complete pigsty. The man had bags under his eyes, as the crust that formed around them was as solid as a rock.

A knock on the door made Jason grumble and fall out of bed as if the gravity on the ship had increased.

"Coming." Jason said groggily as he stumbled to the door and opened it slowly.

"Who is…" Jason began, until his muzzle slightly dropped.

Jason's heart stopped as he was caught completely by surprise. He never saw the person before in his life, even when he was on the team. But, he was immediately smitten at how beautiful the Lynx was. She was beautiful, if anything else, stunning. She had gorgeous blue eyes with orange and black fur. She stood there, with a broad smile on her face, as she extended her arm to greet him.

"You're the new guy right?" The lynx asked kindly.

Jason looked slightly down to see that the Lynx was wearing a Black Sabbath shirt, one of his favorite bands.

"I like her already." Jason thought dreamily.

"Uh, yeah, that's me." Jason stuttered. "I'm Jason Evans…you?"

The Lynx shook Jason's hand warmly and replied.

"My name is Miyu Seraph and I will be your new teammate."

Author's Note: Heh… Well there she is. Sorry if it isn't detailed enough. Star tuned for chapter 16.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jason couldn't help but let his muzzle slightly drop at the sight of the beautiful and gorgeous Lynx. For some reason, he never felt more at peace when just looking at her. She had eyes that could make any man go nuts and she let out one of the cutest laughs ever as she noticed Jason's staring.

"You okay, dude?" she asked.

Jason shook his head out of his daze and started to focus more on the Lynx.

"Uh…ye…yeah…Miyu."

Miyu let out another giggle which, surprisingly, caused Jason to become a bit "Happy Downstairs."

" Oh God!" Jason's mind screamed. "Put it away! Now! Dead nuns! Uh, really dead nuns! Ni…Nicki Minaj! There we go."

Jason's fun soon ended as he blushed and turned his head away so that Miyu's stunning beauty would not make him cause a bad impression.

"So, Jason." Miyu started. "Fox told me to come visit you and I just supposed you were awake. But, you seem tired. So, I'll give you some time."

"Oh no!" Jason declined. "I'm just fine. In fact, you may come in if you'd like to."

Miyu smiled warmly at Jason's kindness as she shrugged and said.

"Okay."

Jason stepped aside to let Miyu enter his room. Miyu whistled as she looked around Jason's room.

"Pretty messy in here." She laughed.

Jason sheepishly put a hand behind his neck and replied

"Sorry about that."

Miyu could only giggle cutely at Jason's apology.

"Don't worry about it." She responded sweetly. "I'm kind of lazy in my room too."

Jason nodded and smiled.

"She's so kind." Jason thought. "Am I seeing things?"

Jason could only marvel at Miyu's personality more as she spotted Jason's guitar. Her face lit up as she turned her head to Jason and asked

"You play?"

Jason nodded "yes" as Miyu picked up the instrument.

"What kind of music are you interested in?" She asked curiously.

Jason blushed a bit at her question. Why he did? He didn't know.

"Uh…well, I like to play rock and some other styles that involve guitar." He replied. "But, rock is my favorite of all."

Miyu nodded as she started to become interested in the brown furred Coyote.

"Heh, he seems like a nice guy." Miyu thought. " The hair he has is pretty neat."

"I love rock too!" Miyu chimed. "It's nice to find someone around here who actually appreciates it."

"Well, you know, long live rock!" Jason joked as he put up a peace sign with his hand.

Miyu giggled at Jason's humorous statement and though to herself.

"Wow. He's different from the other guys I've met."

Miyu continued to peruse Jason's room when her eyes met the Kurt Cobain poster, plastered right above Jason's bed.

"Oh my God!" Miyu exclaimed. "You never told me you were into Nirvana!"

Jason walked up next to her and replied

"Yeah, there one of my favorite bands."

Miyu smiled as she turned to face Jason.

"You're actually into the human stuff?" Miyu asked again.

"You bet." Jason responded truthfully. "Ever since I got that Deep Purple record from my Dad, I've loved the music ever since."

"Love that band!" She exclaimed as she became more interested in the Coyote she had just met.

Miyu folded her arms as she looked at Jason from top to bottom.

"He's pretty handsome." She thought.

"You're a pretty cool guy, Jason." Miyu said truthfully.

A sea of red washed over Jason as he shyly looked down and rubbed the back of his head.

"Aw, no I'm not." He said. "I'm just some no talent punk from Corneria. Just trying to make a living."

Miyu could not hide her giggles as they sounded like wonderful music to Jason's twitching ears.

"Well, I'm going to go get unpacked." Miyu sighed after her laughter. " It was nice meeting you, Jason."

Jason smiled and replied

"It was a pleasure to meet you as well."

Miyu began to exit Jason's room as Jason tried his best not to look at he gorgeous Lynx's backside. Suddenly, she turned back and said.

"Jason, you're no punk. If you were, then you wouldn't be here.

Jason was just standing there, as if he were frozen.

"My God!" Jason thought. " I'm going to be working with her? That's going to be awkward!"

Jason decided to just shrug it off and prepare for the day's events.

OOO

Krystal was against the wall with her arms crossed as she thought about the one she loved so much. Her eyes were closed and her eyebrows were locked in a frown. Krystal could barely sleep at night. Ever since she came back to the team, she had always felt the stinging pain of guilt. It welled up inside her at all the betrayal, trauma, and problems she caused for Fox ever since he kicked her off… for her safety.

"He's killing himself over me." She mentally scolded herself. "It's all my fault."

Krystal let a delicate tear drop from her blue face as it reached the cold steel floor with a mute splash.

"I still remember the day I joined Wolf." Krystal recalled in her darkest memories. "That was the worst mistake of my life."

Krystal continued to grieve in her ever so troubled mind as she started to sob uncontrollably. The tears flooded from her sapphire eyes as her contained emotions were spilled like a can of paint. She then slumped down from her position into that of crouch as she buried her hands into her face helplessly. The pain would simply not halt for the distraught Vixen.

"Krystal?" A concerned and utterly worried voice rang out from across the hall.

Krystal's sobbing immediately stopped as her eyes dilated at the voice. She knew that voice all too well. It was the first voice she ever heard after her imprisonment in that Krazoa temple. I t was the voice that welcomed her to the team…twice. Fox stood there as he saw the Vixen he loved scorned, belittled, and depressed.

Krystal continued to hide her face as she continued her whimpering.

Fox rushed to her side and crouched down with the Vixen as he comforted her.

"Krystal, what's wrong?" Fox asked worriedly as he rubbed her back.

Krystal just couldn't respond. The overwhelming sadness that loomed within her was just too much. She raised her head slightly to see Fox. The man had tears streaming down his face as his puddle of sadness was mixed with Krystal's.

"I…I don't deserve this." She cried as she buried her face into her hands.

"What?" Fox asked shakily.

"I betrayed you. I…have no reason to live."

Fox's eyes widened at her statement.

"No!" he spat. "No, I don't deserve…

Suddenly, they were looking at each other. It was almost as if the whole world stopped. It was there. Their intense love, contained in explosives, went off right there. The tears dried, the eyes narrowed, and the mouths drew closer. The redness that spread across their face was an excellent sign of their love.

"Fox…"

"Krystal…"

Their mouths connected as their eyes closed and they embraced each other. Fox mounted Krystal as they continued to kiss. No one was there, and nobody could protest.

Their love was real…

Author's Note: This one sucked! I tried. LOL. See you later.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

They were still kissing as the Vulpine rolled over to let his love dominate him. The feelings they had for each other had been unleashed like a wild beast and now, there was no stopping them. Their tongues explored each other's mouths, as they savored the amazing taste within them. For so long, they wanted this. Now, they had it.

"I…I love you." Fox managed to pant as he stroked the Vixen's luscious blue hair.

"Fox…" Krystal replied. " I love you too."

They both smiled at each other as they continued their embrace as the cold floor they were laying on heated up due to the passion inside of them.

"Fox, wait." Krystal reluctantly pulled away.

Fox looked up from below the gorgeous woman he loved as she said.

"Just keep this between you and me for now." She pleaded. "Until this mercenary stuff is all over."

All the Vulpine could do was gaze at Krystal. She wasn't like most girls. Most girls who wanted Fox were just one-night standers who only craved Fox for his body, but not Krystal. She had a heart, care, and her love for him was true. They held their gaze for a long moment as each other's eyes hypnotized them. Fox's were like precious green emeralds to Krystal while the Vixen's eyes reminded Fox of the Cornerian sky. Fox put a hand up and stroked her cheek and agreed lovingly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two Foxes kissed each other once more as they hesitantly parted ways for the night. Fox watched Krystal walk down the hallway, but then halt in her direction. Fox, who was just about to leave, noticed Krystal facing him from across the corridor.

"Hey, Fox?" Krystal called from across the hall.

"Yeah?" Fox asked.

Krystal smiled and purred seductively.

"Be ready."

Fox's brow rose up in confusion as he asked.

"Huh?"

Krystal fluttered her eyes, which completely aroused Fox and caused him to swallow a gallon of drool. She smiled deviously as she leaned back against her door and crossed her long legs.

"For a surprise." Krystal finished as she blew a kiss in the Vulpine's direction, opened the door to her room and went to sleep happily for the night.

Fox let a single drop of sweat fall from his forehead as it made contact with the floor.

Fox was left a dumbstruck and red Vulpine. He walked extremely slowly into the kitchen as he looked out into space and put his hands on his hips.

"I did it." He thought in astonishment. "I…told her how I feel about her."

He plopped down in a chair as he desperately tried to take in what had just happened. It was almost as if all the pain and guilt he felt for Krystal had completely vanished into oblivion. Right now, all he could feel was happiness and ecstasy. But, there was something about what Krystal said that puzzled him.

"What does she mean by ' a surprise?' he thought.

Right now, for Fox, nothing mattered to him. All that was important was that he knew Krystal loved him, and that he loved her back.

"Life has a purpose now." He thought as he entered his room for the duration of the evening.

OOO

Jason woke up the next morning as tired as the one before. The bags on his eyes were all too well to not notice as he went into his bathroom to wash up and prepare for the day.

Something was on his mind this morning though. No, it wasn't the team, his father, or the song he was writing with Falco. No, it was Miyu. Jason couldn't believe just how stunning the Lynx looked. Jason never felt like this before, as a matter of fact. After his Dad passed away, Jason abstained from most people and never got into serious relationships. But now, he couldn't get his mind off the woman he had met just the other day.

"Man." He thought. "I can't believe how pretty she is."

Jason suddenly smacked himself in the face mentally and mumbled.

"Who would want a rotten punk like you?"

Jason dropped the idea of Miyu and just got dressed.

After putting on a clean white T- shirt, sweat pants, and a pair of socks, Jason exited his room and made his way to the kitchen. The smell of pancakes filled the air as the elegant aroma hypnotized Jason.

"Alright!" Jason thought excitedly. "Time to gobble down!"

The Coyote entered the kitchen eagerly as he sat down at the table and picked up a newspaper.

"Morning Jason!" A female voice rang out happily.

Jason lowered the newspaper as he was caught completely off guard.

His muzzle couldn't help but fall at the sight of the Lynx. She was wearing an apron that covered her green and black flight suit. The suit was tightly hugged against her curvaceous body.

"Want some pancakes?" Miyu asked nicely as she flipped a flapjack up in the air and caught it in the metal pan. The pancake sizzled on the burning pan as she set it down and wiped her hands.

"Uh…ye…sure." Jason stuttered. "Just two would be fine."

Miyu finished Jason's stack and poured rich, tasty, maple syrup on the flapjacks. She was just about to hand the plate to Jason, but the Coyote had other plans.

"It's okay, Miyu." Jason suggested. "I'll get that myself."

Miyu looked up from the counter and noticed the kind and well-mannered Jason take his plate and say.

"Thanks."

Miyu smiled warmly and replied.

"Don't mention it."

Jason sat down and took a big bite out of his pancakes. What followed was extreme pleasure for his taste buds.

"Wow, Miyu!" Jason exclaimed as he set his fork down. "This tastes delicious!"

Miyu blushed at Jason's compliment as she set her pan down.

"He's so polite." Miyu thought. " And cute!"

"I'm flattered, Jason." Miyu replied gratefully. "I was hoping you'd like them."

Jason nodded and continued wolfing down on his breakfast. The pancakes were almost like paradise in his mouth.

"She's such a wonderful cook." Jason admired Miyu mentally.

After Miyu made herself a batch, she sat down next to Jason to eat her precious creation.

"Again, this is amazing, Miyu." Jason added. "I never met someone who can cook pancakes this well!"

"Yeah, well, I loved cooking since I was a little girl." Miyu exclaimed, while blushing. "Sometimes when you really love something and work hard at it, you become successful at it."

Jason nodded in agreement and finished his food. He washed his plate, stored it safely in the dishwasher, and went back to Miyu.

"So, Jason." Miyu began. "Fox tells me you're pretty talented at guitar."

Jason twiddled his thumbs as a sea of red washed over him.

"I'm not amazing." Jason explained. "I guess I'm okay."

"What's up guys?" A happy and energized voice rang out from the entrance.

Jason and Miyu directed their attention a blissful Fox McCloud. He grabbed a box of cereal and poured himself a bowl.

"Hey, Fox!" Miyu chimed. "How're you doing?"

Fox plopped down in a chair next to Miyu as he ate his cereal eagerly.

"Oh, just swell." He answered. "Got some paperwork to do, but that's pretty much it."

Miyu nodded and ate her breakfast with her three teammates. Suddenly, she looked at Jason, who was gazing at space.

"Not that good, eh Jason?" Miyu thought deviously. "Well, let's just see."

Miyu turned her head to Fox and patted him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, Fox?" Miyu asked.

Fox rotated his head to Miyu and muffled

"Hm?"

Miyu slightly pointed at Jason and said.

"You said he's a good guitarist, right?"

"Yes." Fox answered.

Miyu folded her arms and smiled.

"Well, he says that he's not that good."

Fox stopped his chewing and frowned at Jason, who snapped his head to see his captain looking at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Jason! You can't be too modest!" Fox scolded. "You are a great guitarist!"

Jason put a hand behind his neck and rubbed it sheepishly.

"Well, I guess…"

"Get your guitar." Fox commanded right out of the blue.

Jason's ears erupted to the ceiling when he heard Fox's order.

"W-what?" Jason asked as if Fox was speaking gibberish.

"Come on, Jason!" Miyu pleaded. "I just want to hear one song! Please?"

Jason couldn't help but smile at the Lynx's begging. To him, she was just so adorable.

"Oh, alright." Jason surrendered as he got out of his seat and stretched.

"Atta boy!" Fox chanted.

Jason exited the kitchen with swarms of butterflies in his stomach.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Jason mentally asked himself as he reached his guitar and yanked it out of his room.

Author's Note: Well, there's the 17th one for ya. I'm going to take a little break, but not for too long.

Rock on!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"I don't know why I'm doing this!" Jason's mind screamed. "What am I doing?"

Every step that Jason took seemed to be in slow motion. The sickening pressure in his stomach grew immensely as he gripped his guitar with nervous and numb hands. A few droplets of sweat from the Coyote's forehead made its way to the floor and the unquestionable look of uneasiness was painted all over his face.

And what made him do this? The answer was the gorgeous Lynx who pleaded him to let her hear his musical ability.

"Miyu." He thought. "I don't want to disappoint her."

Jason stopped himself as he smacked himself in the cheek as a way of saying

"Shut up, dumbass! It's not like you 'love' her!"

Jason decided to just calm down, clear his mind, and let his music do the talking.

OOO

His muzzle dropped to the floor, his fur stood straight up on his skin, and the inside of his mouth felt like a desert.

The whole team, Fox, Slippy, Falco, Krystal, Peppy, Miyu, and even R.O.B were waiting in the kitchen.

"Ha! There he is!" Slippy announced playfully.

"What…how?" Jason stuttered.

Fox folded his arms deviously and explained.

"Just for shits and giggles, I invited the whole team to see you perform, Jason."

"Yeah, Jason!" Peppy chimed. "We want to see your so called 'talent' Krystal's been talking about!"

The whole team erupted in laughter as Falco pulled up a chair and bowed as if he were introducing a legend. The Coyote could not believe what was happening. Fox was cheeky enough to tell the whole team to come see him play. All Fox could do was smile and laugh.

But, then, at that moment, Jason's feelings about the whole situation changed dramatically. There she was, sitting with her legs crossed on a chair with a look of interest and excitement. Miyu seemed like the most perfect person to Jason. He was lost in Miyu's eyes. They never seized to amaze him. Jason managed a blush and a weak smile as he plopped down in a chair and held his guitar steady.

"This is for her." He thought dreamily. "This is for Miyu

"Well…uh" Jason began. "This is a song I used to play a lot with my Dad. I don't know if you'll like it, but I'll play it anyway."

The whole team erupted in a mixture of laughs and cheers as Jason took a pick out of his pocket and rested it against the body of his guitar. The nervousness on his face appeared again as he said.

"This song is called "Behind Blue Eyes" by the Who. "

The team clapped as Jason tapped his foot four times to begin.

What happened next was unbelievable.

The guitar was like putty in Jason's hands as he played a slow, emotional, and heavenly tune. He kept his eyes on the fret board of his guitar, never looking at the crowd, for he didn't want to make one mistake. He wanted to be perfect.

The team simmered down as their mouths were hanging wide open. They could not believe what they were seeing. But, the most impressed of all of them was Miyu, and she had great reasoning for it.

"I know this song." She thought. "It's my favorite! How'd he know that?"

Her thoughts were interrupted as what sounded like the voice of an angel filled the room. But, to everyone's surprise, it was the voice of Jason Evans.

**No one knows what it's like**

**To be the bad man**

**To be the sad man**

**Behind blue eyes**

**No one knows what it's like**

**To be hated**

**To be fated**

**To telling only lies**

**But my dreams**

**They aren't as empty **

**As my conscious seems to be**

**I have hours, only lonely**

**My love is vengeance**

**That's never free**

**No one knows what it's like**

**To feel these feelings**

**Like I do**

**And I blame you**

**No one bites back as hard **

**On their anger**

**None of my pain and woe**

**Can show through**

**But my dreams**

**They aren't as empty**

**As my conscience seems to be**

**I have hours, only lonely **

**My loves is vengeance**

**That's never free**

Suddenly, Miyu couldn't help but smile broadly as Jason's face contorted as the song's mood changed from that of soft and melodic to powerful and hard. A new voice erupted from Jason's mouth, and it wasn't a happy one.

**When my fist clenches**

**Crack it open**

**Before I use it and lose my cool**

**When I smile**

**Tell me some bad news**

**Before I laugh and act like a fool**

**If I swallow anything evil**

**Put your finger down my throat **

**If I shiver, please give me a blanket**

**Keep me warm, let me wear your coat**

Then, once again, the mood of the song changed as Jason's voice returned to that of the sad and depressing tone.

**No one knows what it's like**

**To be the bad man**

**To be the sad man**

**Behind blue eyes**

The song ended as Jason lowered his head to expect instant criticism. But, he got something back that he didn't expect.

Applause and cheers.

The whole team erupted as they clapped and hooted for Jason's amazing performance. Jason could only blush and put a hand behind his neck as he became a bit overwhelmed by the praise he received.

"Bravo!" Falco exclaimed.

"Sensational!" Krystal chimed.

"Wow!" Fox clapped enthusiastically.

"Jeez Louise!" Peppy added in.

"That was incredible!" Slippy croaked.

"Very impressive, Jason." R.O.B said in a monotone voice.

Jason couldn't help but slightly bow and rest his guitar against the wall. But, what he saw next was the sweetest face in the world.

Miyu was clapping loudly and hooting for Jason. To the Coyote, she was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. Her personality was unlike anything he had ever seen. She had a serious attitude, but could also become very friendly and playful with people she cared about.

"I loved it, Jason!" she chanted.

"She loved it." He thought as the Lynx's wonderful statement was deeply imprinted into Jason's brain.

"Thanks, guys." Jason managed to mutter as he got up from the chair.

"Hey, Jason." Fox called.

The Coyote turned his head and said

"Yeah?"

Fox smiled and said truthfully

" That was the most incredible thing I've ever heard."

Jason had to cling on to all his feelings after Fox said that . It was so truthful and complimentary that it almost made Jason's heart leap into his throat.

"Seriously, dude!" Slippy added. " You should make a career out of music!"

Jason desperately tried to hide his tears of happiness as he was lost in a world of appreciation. He had never felt more accepted in his life. It was as if the burden of being alone was lifted off the Coyote's shoulders. He finally had friends to call his own.

"Again," Jason said. "thank you all."

Jason received one final applause from the team as everything calmed down and became normal. The team went back to their normal routine for the day as Jason exited the kitchen with his trusty guitar in his hands.

"I can't believe it!" Jason thought happily. " All my life, I've played in clubs were people don't even listen to my music. Now, it's as if I can do anything when I'm with this team."

Jason fought back the overly ecstatic expression on his face as he entered his room and plopped down on the bed.

His eyes made contact with the written music he had created.

"I can do it!" He mentally assured himself. "I can write my own songs!"

A knock on the door interrupted Jason's thoughts as he got up, straightened out his tail, and opened the door. His facial expression was immediately changed as he saw who it was.

Miyu.

"Hi, Jason!" Miyu chimed as Jason tried to hide the redness on his face.

"Hi." Jason managed to say as his eyes were again locked on the Lynx's gorgeous figure.

"You played amazingly, Jason!" Miyu exclaimed.

Jason smiled and replied

"Well, like I said, I'm not amazing."

Miyu rolled her eyes in annoyance as she disagreed.

"No way, Jason! You are an incredible musician and it was a privilege to hear you play."

Jason could only be engulfed in red as replied

"Well, thank you."

Miyu's happy face soon turned to that of regret as she looked down and said

"I'm sorry I put you on the spot."

Jason's ears skyrocketed to the roof when he heard her apologize.

"Why is she sorry?" he thought.

"Miyu, you have nothing to be sorry for." Jason assured the cute Lynx. "If anyone should be sorry , it should be me!"

Miyu tilted her head up as she cocked her head in confusion.

"Why?"

Jason explained

"I shouldn't be denying such a pretty girl like you of anything!" he said truthfully.

Miyu could only blush as she thought lovingly.

"He's so sweet."

"Thanks, Jason." Miyu managed to say.

"You're welcome, Miyu." Jason replied.

Jason decided to end the conversation by saying goodbye and closing the door when suddenly he felt a paw on his shoulder.

"Jason."

"Hm?"

Miyu spun him around and hugged him tightly like a stuffed animal. Jason was sweating like mad as his temperature rose incredibly.

"You're quite handsome too." She purred as she reluctantly retracted her arms from his waist and headed to her room.

Jason closed the door slowly as he couldn't believe what just happened.

Once again, he fell on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling and muttered

"I think I have a crush on Miyu Seraph."

At this moment, Jason had no idea Miyu was saying the exact same thing.

Author's Note:

Must…go…to…bed! LOL. See you guys later and I hoped you liked this chapter!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The eerie light of the sun faded into darkness as the day soon turned to night. An orange-furred Vulpine was in his room, planning out certain shipments and rubbing the sleep from his dreary eyes. He yawned in exhaustion as the final payment was completed and rose from his chair. He stretched a bit and groaned quietly as his bones made soft cracking noises.

"Ah, that feels better." Fox breathed as he entered the shower and let the hot water splash against his face. The liquid covered his body and he sighed contently and felt reborn.

Suddenly, Fox could've sworn he had heard something shuffle in his room. The sound made him jump a bit as he stopped the shower for a brief moment to hear another noise. After washing out his fur and drying off, he cautiously padded to the door that would allow him to enter his room.

"I wonder what that noise was." Fox thought in concern as he shakily opened the door. His heartbeat began to race when he heard another shuffling sound coming from around his bed.

"Who's there?" he called out as he poked his head, craned his neck and scanned his room with his alert eyes to find out who or what was causing that tingle of sound from his bed. Then he saw her.

The eyes widened, the nose tingled, and the fur on Fox's body stood straight up on his skin. It was like staring into the eyes of an angel. He felt the pressure tighten in his gut when he saw the beautiful Vixen before him. The mere astounding image of his love this open almost gave him a nosebleed.

His whole body erupted in a noticeable shade of red as his muzzle hang agape. The gorgeous, blue furred Vixen was lying on her side, with a hand placed on her cheek as she smiled deviously. She was only wearing her essentials and her slender legs went on forever. Krystal said innocently

"Hello, Fox."

Fox couldn't say one word. He had never seen Krystal this exposed before. Yes, he had fantasized this moment, but he never thought that it would really happen. Fox could only smile weakly and look down at the ground with a blush painted on his face. Krystal giggled seductively as she got off the bed and made her way to the gushing Vulpine.

"Fox, look at me." She purred as she wrapped her arms around his waist and embraced him with a hug. Fox could feel the Vixen's breasts pinned against his chest and all he could do was just stare in awe at her.

"Come here." She sighed as she brought her mouth to his and let her arms wrap around his strong neck.

Fox could not believe what was happening. Krystal, the girl of his dreams, was kissing him passionately in only her underwear. Fox couldn't contain himself as he let his tongue meet his partner's as the ferocity kicked in. They let themselves fall to the ground with Krystal mounting her Vulpine as they urged each other to let the kiss continue. Then, Fox's mind started to tell him something.

"Steady, Fox. She may be beautiful, but she's no toy."

Fox reluctantly let his lips depart from Krystal's as the Vixen let her head fall on his chest and sighed in happiness.

"Krystal." Fox started.

"Hm?" Krystal mewed as she pressed her nose against his and sighed.

Fox had a lot of trouble finding out what to say. His hormones were shouting at him to just go with the flow and continue, but there was something about the Vixen that made him regret kissing her so roughly.

"After all that has happened. I can't just do it now!" Fox thought.

"Uh, I… uh." Fox stammered, as he couldn't find the right words to say to the Vixen.

Krystal could only giggle helplessly as she gave Fox a quick peck on the forehead and stared into his jade green eyes.

"Those eyes." She thought. "So majestic."

"Krystal, what I'm trying to say is that…well…"

"Fox." Krystal interrupted. "You can tell me anything."

After saying that she playfully licked the side of Fox's face as the Vulpine shivered at the feeling he received from it.

"And I mean…anything." Krystal purred seductively.

"Krystal, what I'm saying is that I...don't want to make you feel like you have to do this."

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked in confusion.

Fox blushed and looked down and mumbled.

"I'm…nervous that I'll hurt you in the future."

Krystal's face softened as she heard those words. To her, Fox was so caring and gentle with people he cared about. So, when she heard that statement, it melted her heart. She never felt more grateful for Fox's love.

"Fox, there's no need to fret." She told him softly.

"Are you sure?" Fox replied. "It just seems too soon."

"Fox…" Krystal started as she drew her face closer to his.

"I've been wanting this since I first met you."

The Vulpine was consumed by surprise and astonishment as his lover attacked his lips. Fox's widened eyes eventually narrowed and then closed as he enjoyed the sensation of his lover's lips on his.

Krystal pulled away and looked down at Fox with a look of passion and lust in her eyes. Fox had the same look painted on his face as Krystal got off of him.

They stood there, looking at each other and marveling at each other's figure. They were meant for each other and they had known it since day one.

"I love you." Fox whispered in her ear as he hugged her tight body.

"I love you, too." Krystal replied as she retracted herself from Fox and took him hand in hand to the bed.

This time, Fox was on top of Krystal as they kissed and felt each other's bodies. Never before had they felt so complete and alive in their lifetime.

"Hey, Fox." Krystal managed to mutter as Fox reluctantly pulled away from Krystal and looked down.

"Roll over."

Fox did as he was told as he went on his back and watched in awe as the Vixen looked down at him while sitting on his waistline.

"Here's your surprise." She purred as she began to release the strap on her bra.

Fox's eyes bulged, as he couldn't believe what was happening.

"Krystal?"

Krystal put a finger to his mouth and shushed him as she smiled sexily and continued to tease Fox.

Then, the strap came undone as the bra fell onto the covers of the bed. Fox could only watch and mentally drool.

"I told you to be ready." Krystal giggled as she brought her lips to his and kissed her love.

"Krystal, wait." Fox reluctantly protested like an idiot. " What if someone hears us?"

Krystal's seductive face was replaced by that of seriousness and annoyance as she whispered to Fox while cupping his cheeks in her hands.

"Fuck them."

OOO

The night was unbelievable, to say the least. The two canines never had experienced such a pleasurable feeling after that night. They breathed in each other's scent, as the clothes spread around on the floor were perfect pieces of evidence of what occurred the night before.

Krystal stirred and eventually awoke to see her peacefully sleeping Vulpine. She smiled and put a hand on his chest as he felt the slow, rhythmic heartbeat coming from inside of him.

"God, that was amazing." She whispered as she nuzzled her head under his arm and sighed.

Suddenly, Fox was released from his slumber after he heard Krystal's loving sigh. His eyes cracked open as they rolled down to find Krystal.

Se looked so comfortable under his arm and her smile could make the angels of heaven cry. Her blue fur had the most provocative appearance and her eyes were as amazing as the summer sky.

"Hi." Fox said.

"Hi." Krystal replied.

Both of them were having a hard time trying to process what happened. They both knew that this moment would come, but, not so suddenly. It was as if nothing mattered anymore. They had heir undeniable love, and nothing or nobody, not even death, could tear them apart from each other.

They resumed their cuddling as the sun glared through their room, but they didn't need it.

The sun's heat was no match for the burning love the two had for each other.

Author's Note: Well, I know this one was boring, but I just wanted to get a fluff scene out of the way (if you can call it that.)

By the way, Zach of Death, there will be a mission soon. So be patient! LOL

See ya later!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The Coyote was in a familiar position at the start of the day. He was on his bed, scratching his head, and reading over the music he had constantly revised or eliminated. The bags under his eyes were evident along with his tangled fur. Jason had never felt more mentally exhausted in his life.

"Must keep going!" His mind commanded him. " I can do this!"

Jason put his thumb and index finger between his eyes and scraped the remaining pieces of sleep from his eyes.

"Okay, the chorus seems good." He said aloud to himself. "Now, for the bridge…

"Jason! Hey, Jason!" a loud and excited voice bellowed as the obnoxious knocking annoyed Jason thoroughly.

"Okay! Keep your pants on!" Jason snapped at whoever was knocking.

Jason opened the door to find a smiling Falco Lombardi. Jason's eyebrow rose in confusion, as he had never seen Falco this pepped up. Something must have happened.

"What's with the smile?" Jason laughed.

"Jason! You're not going to believe what's happening!" Falco shouted excitedly while he put up his fists and shook them happily.

Jason shrugged in curiosity and asked

"What?"

Falco held up a document. It looked like some kind of announcement paper to Jason. Falco handed it to Jason and commanded

"Read it!"

Jason took the paper from Falco and let his tired eyes scan what was written on it. Suddenly, the expression on his face became more surprised when he read the headline.

It read: 

_Open mic night tonight at Louie's Bar and Grill, 34 West Street._

_Phone #: 908-287-6508_

_All talents are acceptable at this open mic night. Whether it's music, comedy, etc, you can become a star at this very bar! Let your talent shine like never before at Louie's Bar and Grill._

_Open Mic Night date: June 6__th__, 20XX_

The document included a picture of an acoustic guitar and a microphone and the headline was descriptively decorated.

Jason frowned at Falco, as he knew what his pesky friend was getting at. He looked at the bird straight in the eye and gave a plain, tasteless

"No."

"Yes!" Falco protested. "Jason, come on!"

"No, Falco." Jason stated firmly. "I am a mercenary, not a musician. Besides, I've got to do so much work around here. I wouldn't even have time to practice. June 6th, Falco! That's like, in a week!"

Falco folded his arms and continued to disagree with the Coyote.

"Don't you want your talent to be exposed?"

"Well, yeah." Jason replied. "But…"

"Then this is your chance!" Falco exclaimed. "Become more noticed if this is what you want!"

Jason could only roll his eyes and chuckle at Falco's eagerness for him to perform. The whole situation seemed too soon for him. Here he was, just a mercenary on Star Fox, and now, he was being ordered to play more music than pilot Arwings. Jason felt like he wasn't doing his job, so Falco's persuading made him feel like he was being used for something else.

"Falco, I can't." Jason said. "This is not what I am supposed to do."

Falco raised his arms in confusion and said.

"Why?"

"I'm supposed to help you guys, not serenade you with music." Jason explained. " Sure, it's a fine hobby, but I have more important things to do."

"But, what about the song?" Falco asked. "You're just going to give up?"

"No!" Jason shot back, his voice a bit stronger and louder. "I'm going to finish it! I just can't play music all the time. Okay?"

Falco, with a look of disappointment, just shrugged and replied.

"Okay."

Jason nodded and closed the door.

Falco walked away with his hands in his pockets and muttered.

"I wonder what crawled up his ass this morning!"

Jason fell back on his bed and groaned as he pushed his music sheets aside.

"Man, why did I act like that?"

OOO

Fox was sitting in his room with a dumbstruck look on his face. The night he had spent with Krystal was so unbelievably incredible. It was almost as if he was in heaven at that time. He had had sex before, but with her, it felt like it was his first time. To him, that was one of the things that made Krystal such an amazing woman to him. Thankfully for Fox and Krystal, nobody heard their intense lovemaking.

"So, I guess that we do love each other." Fox murmured. "I finally feel like I can start living again."

A knock on the door interrupted Fox's thoughts as he got up and headed to the door. He opened it to find Jason with his head down and his ears drooped almost to the floor.

"Hi, Fox." He managed to mutter as he put a hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it nervously.

Fox's face softened when he saw the Coyote looking glum and depressed. He couldn't stand to see Jason so upset. He was just too valuable to the team to be sad.

"Something wrong, bud?" he asked concernedly.

Jason managed to look up and say

"Is it okay if I come in?"

Fox nodded kindly as he stepped aside to let Jason in.

"What's on your mind, Jason?" Fox asked.

The two sat down in black rotating chairs, as Jason couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with what he was going to ask his captain.

"Well?" Fox asked with his arms up in the air.

Jason twiddled his thumbs as he looked up at his team leader. A bead of sweat was easily noticeable on his forehead as it dropped to the floor. Jason, with a face of hesitation, asked

"Fox, do you think…I'm really cut out for this job?"

Fox's eyes bulged as his muzzle hang in confusion and surprise. He could not believe Jason would ask such a thing. It was like he was saying he didn't like ice cream.

"Jason, why would you ask me something like that?"

Jason sat up straight in his chair as he explained

"Well, earlier this morning, Falco came into my room with this invitation paper on an open mic night down at Louie's. You know, the bar and grill joint?"

Fox nodded and rotated his hand as a signal for Jason to proceed.

"So, I kind of thought that I was on this team for the wrong reasons." Jason continued. "And I feel like I'm not doing my job as a mercenary on this team. "

Fox nodded once more and asked the rookie

"Then, what made you all sad looking?"

Jason clenched his teeth in nervousness as he found it hard to tell Fox about how he yelled at Falco.

"Well, Fox, I kind of…well…"

"Spit it out, Jason!" Fox chuckled as he lay back in his chair.

"I yelled at him about it, sir." He confessed, regretting his past actions.

Fox looked at Jason with a stone cold face, as Jason felt even more anxious about what he had just said.

"Damn!" Jason thought. "Me and my big mouth!"

Suddenly, Jason noticed a change in Fox's expression. His glaring face soon softened as the corners of his lips curved upward in a smile. Jason could only watch in amazement as Fox burst out into heartfelt laughter. Fox busted a gut as he wiped a tear from his hysterically expressed face.

"That's what you're so down about?" Fox asked as the last remaining bits of laughter disappeared from his voice.

"Well." Jason began. "I just felt bad about it. I know that yelling at your own teammate isn't exactly exemplary. "

Fox laughed even more as he told Jason.

"Don't worry about it, man. That's pretty common in a mercenary team, especially with Falco. "

They both chuckled, as Jason couldn't believe that what he had just done wasn't too big of a deal.

"Well, that's relieving!" Jason said, as he felt a lot better. "Thank you, Fox."

Jason started to leave Fox before the Vulpine stopped him.

"Hey, Jason."

The Coyote looked back to see Fox with a broad smile on his face as he said to him

"You are a very valuable member of this team. And I must say, you're doing your job just fine. But, don't let that be your only ambition, Jason. Explore and expand your way of life."

Jason nodded gratefully as he exited Fox's room, feeling completely better.

Fox snickered as he opened his laptop to check on the Great Fox's systems.

"He's going to go far in life." Fox thought of the young Coyote.

OOO

Jason walked down the hall feeling more confident as a member on the team. He was very grateful to have such a caring leader like Fox. He always found a way to make anyone he cared about feel happy and full of life.

"Well, I guess I better go apologize to Falco." He thought as he made his way to Falco's room.

Jason rounded a corner as he continued to walk on, not noticing a certain someone who was walking right toward him.

"I just hope he isn't too hurt about…ah!" Jason yipped as he felt his body collide with another's as they both fell to the floor with Jason on the lower ground. He felt a presence on top of him. It felt feminine and his eyes opened to see two amazingly beautiful blue eyes staring right into his.

"Oh…shit!" He thought, as he couldn't believe what was happening.

Miyu, the most beautiful woman in Jason's eyes, was on top of him, looking at him straight in the face with the same look of disbelief and nervousness. The blushes on their cheeks were very noticeable as they began to stutter.

"I…I'm sorry." Jason stuttered as he wiggled out from beneath Miyu, as Miyu got up with him.

"Oh no, I should be sorry." The Lynx replied in embarrassment. "I didn't really look at where I was going."

Jason and Miyu desperately tried not to look at each other as the whole situation screamed awkward.

"Well, I guess it was just an accident. So… no need for both of us for apologize." Miyu managed to say as she couldn't help but think about the fact that she was on top of Jason's strong body.

"Yeah, I guess so." Jason replied as he turned to Miyu.

"Well, I have to get going to fix some parts on my Arwing." Miyu explained. "Damn G -diffuser 's busted again."

Jason chuckled as he replied

"Well, I've got some stuff to work on too."

Miyu smiled as she blushed and said

"See you later, Jason."

"See ya." Jason replied as he walked past Miyu to get to Falco's room.

Miyu looked back to watch Jason turn another corner and disappear from her sight as she said

"I don't know why I feel so nervous around him."

Miyu just shrugged and headed to the hanger to fix her Arwing.

"But, one thing's for sure." Miyu thought dreamily. "I wouldn't mind him singing to me one day."

Miyu noticed what she was thinking and mentally slapped herself.

"Don't think about him like that!" Her subconscious scolded her. "He's just a friend, nothing else. Besides, he just met you!"

Miyu sighed as she exited the hallway to enter the hanger.

She couldn't help but giggle at the funny moment that had occurred between them.

Author's Note:

Phew! Two updates in like, two days! Well, that's number 20. Let's see what you think about it. Action is coming soon, I promise!

Rock on!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Ah, jeez. I hope I wasn't too hard on him." Jason muttered as he approached the door that led to Falco's room. "Damn it! He's done so much for me, and I just spat back in his face like a douche!"

Jason couldn't help but feel utterly jittery and nervous about apologizing to Falco. The tough bird was usually very sensitive and you always had to be careful about what you said around him. One false statement, and he would go off like a cannon.

"Well, here it goes." Jason thought as he finally reached the door and balled his hand up in a fist to knock on the door.

The uneasiness grew in Jason's gut as his fist collided with the metal door in a knocking motion. He heard the padding of footsteps approaching and readied himself for the probably emotionally hurt bird to emerge from the door.

Jason straightened his hair out a bit as Falco opened the door to find the Coyote looking nervous and stressed about something. He scratched his head in confusion, as he couldn't figure out why Jason looked so anxious.

"Hey, man." Falco greeted. "What's up?"

Jason had trouble looking at Falco because he didn't want to see a sad or angry face staring right back into his soul.

"Uh, Falco…" Jason began.

"Yeah?" Falco asked with a confused expression on his face.

Jason was finally able to look at Falco, as he was completely caught off guard by what he saw.

Falco didn't look the least bit mad. In fact, there wasn't a trace of unhappiness on his face. It was just looked confused and uncertain of what was going on.

Jason decided to just swallow his pride and mutter a true and sympathetic

"I'm sorry."

Falco's confused expression was still imprinted on his face, as he still did not understand what Jason meant.

Jason's nervousness skyrocketed when he saw Falco looking at him like he came from an entirely different system of the universe.

"Jason, what in the hell are you sorry about?" Falco asked while crossing his arms, demanding an explanation.

Jason looked up at his friend with his ears down as he explained

"I'm just sorry I snapped at you earlier this morning. I know that I really shouldn't have, and I just came to here to apologize for that."

Falco's face softened as the utterly confused expression on his face was replaced with a look realization and forgiveness.

"It's fine, dude." Falco said understandingly. "It happens to the best of us. Hell, I yelled at Slippy about that…"

"Zombie game?" Jason asked while chuckling.

"Yeah!" Falco exclaimed. "So, don't feel bad about it, man. We all yell. Its just part of our nature."

Jason nodded at Falco with a broad smile. Falco didn't appear to look too bright with his cocky and aggressive attitude. But, Jason saw him as a wise person with great people skills along with piloting skills.

"Well" Jason began. "I have to go fly out later on to check on the ship's exterior. So, I guess I'll see you around later."

"Alright, Jason." Falco replied while smiling broadly at the young and kind Coyote.

Jason nodded as he turned around and headed towards the exit to the hallway. He couldn't help but feel so baffled at how easy that apology was.

"Well, that's out of the way." He thought. "Now, time for some breakfast!"

OOO

Miyu entered the kitchen with an empty stomach, as she groaned in despair.

" Man." She whined. "I better eat quickly before I faint."

The day before had been a difficult one for Miyu. She had to fill out so much paperwork after she rejoined the team. It mentally drained her and she never got a chance to eat at all during the night. It wasn't like she wasn't allowed to. She was just so exhausted, that she passed out on her bed once she was finished with everything.

"I feel like shit." She thought aloud as she finally made it to the pantry to find something good to eat.

"Damn it! Where are the cornflakes?" Miyu thought angrily as she desperately searched for her favorite breakfast.

Suddenly, Miyu heard a peculiar sound coming from the kitchen. It was a clanking noise that caught her completely off guard as she headed to the location of where the sound was coming from. The noise sounded like a substance being poured when she exited the pantry. Her head turned to surprisingly find Jason with a big and beautiful bowl of cornflakes. Jason was just about to dig into his meal when he saw Miyu.

"Hi, Miyu." He chimed as he set his spoon down and opened up for conversation.

Miyu didn't hear him. She was too busy ogling the tasty cornflakes that rested in Jason's shiny bowl. She was very tempted to just steal them and eat them right on the spot. But, she knew that would make her seem rude.

"Miyu? Are you okay?" Jason asked as he noticed the look of pure exhaustion and hunger on the Lynx's beautiful face.

Miyu immediately noticed what she was doing as put a hand to her mouth and blushed.

"Don't act like an idiot around him!" She thought as she mentally smacked herself upside the head.

"Sorry, Jason." Miyu said sheepishly. "It's nice to see you bright and early."

"Thanks, Miyu." Jason replied.

The Coyote still had a feeling of uncertainty as the Lynx he cared for continued to stare at his breakfast. Jason's concerns for her increased when he saw her quickly lick her lips. Then, Jason had a mental breakthrough on why Miyu was acting so strange.

"She's hungry, and I know it." The Coyote thought as he once again let his spoon rest by the bowl. "And here I am, being a selfish douche, taking the last of the cereal."

"Any cornflakes left?" Miyu asked hopefully as she sat down next to Jason.

Jason felt a pain in his stomach when those words left her mouth. He didn't want to see the look of pain and disappointment on her amazing and majestic face when he told her that he took the last bowl of cornflakes.

But, at that moment, Jason decided to make a sacrifice.

"Well, Miyu, I hate to tell you this, but they're all gone."

Miyu clenched her stomach in pain as her despair grew to new heights.

"Wait Miyu!" Jason said.

Miyu turned her attention from the floor the handsome Coyote as she blushed feverously.

"It's okay, Jason." Miyu said. "I guess I could just have something el…

"Want mine?" he asked kindly as he took his bowl and extended his arms towards the Lynx.

Miyu blushed once more, as she couldn't believe what Jason was offering to her. She knew that cornflakes were his favorite cereal to eat in the morning, and she wasn't going to let herself ruin his breakfast by selfishly taking it away.

"Jason, it's nice of you, but I can't accept that." Miyu reluctantly declined the Coyote.

Jason put on a funny look of concern, which melted Miyu's heart. Then, Jason started to tease Miyu in a friendly way.

"Aw, is the little Lynx afraid of an offer of food?"

"Jason!" Miyu laughed as Jason as she felt like she would bust a gut. Jason decided to take his playfulness a step further.

"Come on." He cooed while holding the bowl right up in Miyu's face. "You know you want it!"

Miyu laughed even more as Jason walked closer to the unbelievably stunning Lynx. Jason continued his pleading while forcing the bowl right in front of her face.

"Dig in!"

"No, Jason!"

You're drooling for it!"

"No, I'm not!"

Suddenly, they were caught in each other's gaze. Miyu's sparkling blue eyes left him completely dumbfounded and smitten with love. Miyu felt the exact same way when she looked into Jason's two orbs of blue that made her feel as if she was in paradise.

"Oh…uh." Jason broke the rather awkward and unusual moment between them as he straightened up and looked away from the Lynx shyly.

Miyu couldn't believe what she had just done as she too hesitated to look at the Coyote after her dream like stare.

They both started to stutter, as they were trying to not sound flustered after what had just occurred.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I didn't mean to…"

"No! No! It's fine, Miyu. You did nothing wrong. I just…"

They both stopped themselves as they looked at each other and, surprisingly enough, burst out in hysterics.

"That was really weird!" Miyu laughed as she clenched her empty stomach.

"Yeah, it was." Jason blushed as he put a hand behind his neck and chuckled.

"You know what Jason." Miyu began. "I'll take those cornflakes."

Jason let a smile come across his face as he was finally able to convince the Lynx.

"Okay, well, here you go." Jason said warmly while handing Miyu the unscathed bowl.

Miyu took the bowl in her hands and grinned. She couldn't believe how amazingly generous Jason was. He was so willing to reach out and help others when they were in need.

"But, Jason" Miyu asked concernedly. "What will you eat?"

Jason smiled warmly and replied

"Oh, I have other options."

Miyu laughed again as she began to eat the cornflakes that Jason had so kindly given to her.

She looked at Jason once more and was again consumed by his gaze.

"Thank you, Jason." Miyu said gratefully. "You really are sweet for doing this."

Jason nodded, as the redness on his face was anything but unnoticeable.

Then, to Jason's amazement, he found Miyu, walking slowly toward him. Jason's heart leaped into his throat when her face was probably a few inches from his.

"Hey, Jason." Miyu purred, as she got even closer. "You know how I like to thank sweet people for their kindness?"

"Uh…um." Jason couldn't say one word.

"I do it like this." She sighed as her lips edged toward his cheek.

"What the hell are you doing?" the Lynx's mind screamed. "Stop yourself!"

But, Miyu just couldn't. Jason was just so handsome and kind that it made her lose all control. His muscles were so hard and his hair was so perfect and neatly combed, that Miyu wanted to just rest in it.

Miyu's lips made contact with the side of Jason's face as the Coyote became comfortably numb. His face grew into a deep shade of red, as Miyu pulled away and smiled at the Coyote.

Inside his mind, Jason was going bananas.

"Ah, jeez. Put the thing down! Down! Down!"

Jason tried his best to hide his arousal and calm his raging hormones.

"Once again" Miyu whispered. "Thank you, Jason."

Miyu walked away slowly as Jason was left dumbfounded and smitten with affectionate feelings for the Lynx who had just gave him a little peck on his cheek.

"I think I need to sit down." Jason muttered as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and plopped down in a chair.

"What the hell just happened?" Jason thought to himself.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a sound coming from the entrance of the kitchen. It was clapping.

Jason raised his head to find Slippy. The short and stubby frog had a huge grin on his face while his hands collided with one another.

"Shut up, Slippy!" Jason barked as he hid his face in complete embarrassment.

"Jason!" Slippy chanted as his clapping concluded. "I had no idea you were the 'ladies man' until now!"

Jason buried his face in his hands, as Slippy laughed up a storm.

"It's okay, Jason. I know you didn't do anything."

Slippy pulled out a chair as he sat next to the still embarrassed.

"So," Slippy said as he put his hands under his chin and smiled. "What do you think of her?"

Jason took his head out of his paws and looked at Slippy with emotionless eyes.

" Slippy, for real?"

"Come on!" Slippy pleaded. "Tell me!

Jason laid his head back and replied

"She's a good friend and a nice person. There!"

Slippy wasn't buying it. He knew there was more.

"Right." He said sarcastically. "Well, I'm gonna go get my Arwing repaired."

"Yeah, see ya." Jason waved goodbye as he was trying to take in all that had happened.

Then, all of the sudden, another noise caught Jason's attention. It wasn't clapping, or a sound made by human hands. No, it was an electrical sound. It was a loud and obnoxious beeping that blared through the loud speakers and reverberated around his head.

It was an alarm, which meant that trouble was brewing and Jason had to stop it along with his team.

Author's Note: Well, another cliffhanger. Sorry, but I just had to end it there. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the second affectionate moment between Jason and Miyu. More is yet to come!

Rock on!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The noise shook the whole ship as it echoed throughout the corridor. The color of red was shaded with the metallic walls and the sound of a stampede grew louder and louder.

Out of the hall emerged Fox, then Krystal, then Falco, Slippy, Miyu, and finally Jason. They all had the same look of urgency and determination in their eyes, as that familiar sound, that loud and obnoxious noise of emergency was anything but unfamiliar to them. They had trained, sacrificed, and prepared their whole lives for these moments. Some on the team were more experienced, as some were not.

But, no matter how much pain, suffering, and torment that they each had gone through in the past; nothing would stop them from achieving one thing.

That one thing was peace in their home system of the Lylat, and the rest of the universe.

OOO

"What's the situation?" Fox asked seriously, as Peppy rotated his chair around and replied.

"I'm picking up a huge wave of heat around Corneria's atmosphere. This could be some deep shit."

The whole team stood attentively with that same alert look on their faces. But, one person in that group felt more nervous than everyone else.

And that person was Jason.

His heart was beating faster than the speed of light and his mouth was drier than a desert in the middle of nowhere. The Coyote looked normal on the outside, but on the inside he was a nervous wreck…to say the least.

"My first official mission." Jason thought in agony. "I won't fuck this up!"

"Any signs of what's going on, old timer?" Falco asked as he crossed his arms.

"Just give me a second." Peppy answered back as he searched for the coordinates of where his readings were located.

The moments that passed felt like years. Sweat emerged from the skin of every member of Star Fox, as Peppy avidly searched for what was causing all of the havoc and commotion around Corneria.

Then, in one push of a button, he had found it, and it wasn't something to behold.

"Guys!" he called as the team huddled around the screen that Peppy's horrified eyes were staring at.

Star Fox could not believe what they were witnessing. It was as if the epiphany of evil, destruction and chaos were all part of that gigantic substance heading straight for Corneria.

It was a flaming meteorite, and it was nearly the size of a space cruiser.

"Jesus Christ!" Falco exclaimed as the mere size of the asteroid baffled the entire team.

"But, how?' Krystal asked. "We could've seen this from miles away!"

"No time, Krystal." Peppy said. " Now, get out of here and stop that thing, before Corneria becomes a wasteland!'

Star Fox could not believe what was occurring. There just seemed to be no way that a meteor could be this close to Corneria. If it were, then Star Fox would have known about it immediately, and would have gotten the situation done much quicker. But now, this ridiculously random mission didn't seem to make sense.

Yet, they were all seeing it, with their own two eyes.

"Alright guys." Fox stated confidently. "No matter how unprepared we are for this asteroid, we still have to do something about it. Let's roll!"

Fox jogged out of the Command deck, as the rest of his team followed him.

"It doesn't make sense!" Fox thought while running quickly to the hanger. "Why is this happening now? We would have known about this much before now. But, it didn't matter. Fox had prepared for these missions his whole life and failure was no option. He had to fight, for his team, and the love of his life.

"Krystal." He thought. "I'll protect you."

OOO

The sweat that appeared on Jason's forehead was only a minor footnote on how anxious the Coyote was. He felt very warm and was breathing at a very abnormal rate. His eyes seemed to wander from left to right, indicating his nervousness, as he was jolted back into his seat. The hanger door slid open as Jason briefly closed his eyes and whispered a silent prayer.

"Dear lord…please don't make me fuck up."

And with that, the Arwing's engines erupted into full throttle. The beautiful and elegant ships burst out of the hanger and entered the vast vacuum of space. The stars shined against the paint as they left a fascinating bright reflection.

"Alright guys, this meteor seems like the real deal." Fox announced over his communicator. "Let's clean this up before…"

Fox couldn't finish.

What happened next was probably the most mind disorienting and unbelievable sight in his entire life. His eyes were wide open and his jaw was wide open as he cocked a brow in confusion.

There was nothing.

No chaos, no destruction, no meteorite.

"What…the…fuck?"

Fox barely managed to huff the words out, as he and his team could not believe their eyes. The whole thing was gone.

"Fox?" Jason asked perplexed. "What's going on?"

"I…don't know." Fox replied.

"It's as if… it just vanished." Slippy agreed, as he too was baffled.

Fox fell back in his seat as all of his adrenaline disappeared.

"How could a giant flaming meteor just disappear?"

"Well…your nightmare is only beginning."

Then, Fox's face turned from complete confusion to realization, as he found out why the meteor had disappeared.

It was a setup. That meteor must have just been a fake, a hologram, and Fox knew who was behind it all.

"Wolf!" Fox growled.

The Wolfens dove down on Star Fox as their red lasers streaked through space toward the Arwings.

"I told you that you would pay." Wolf snarled.

The two teams engaged in a huge dogfight as lasers of green and red went in all directions.

"I can't believe this!" Jason thought. "They startled a whole damn planet…just to distract us!"

"You guys are sick!" Falco roared as he rolled his ship to the side and angrily shot at Leon. "How could you do something like that?"

Panther roared in despicable laughter as he replied nastily

"We'd do anything to destroy you, even if it would be a result of chaos!"

Jason could only snarl in anger. His eyes grew bloodshot and his fist clenched in unbelievable rage and hatred.

"You…stuck up… terrible…. atrocious…monsters!" The Coyote screamed as he banked to the side and sped up with Andrew's Wolfen.

The monkey looked back and immediately saw the sight of pure furiousness and anger catching up to him.

In a panic, Andrew desperately tried to shake the Coyote and his lasers.

Jason's eyes narrowed as his eyes were fixed on his target.

"Come on…you sick son of a bitch!" he snarled as he once again missed Andrew.

"It's no use, punk!" Andrew shot back. "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!"

At that moment, Andrew's words were shoved right back down his throat. The look of fear and reluctant realization were engraved on his stone cold face, as karma had finally caught up to him. He saw the flames on his left wing and immediately realized that death was just around the corner if he went on.

But, the coldest and most dreadful words he had ever heard left him still and shocked.

"Oh no." the voice said. "You aren't getting away this time."

The last thing Andrew had seen at that moment was fire and smoke. His ship exploded into a million pieces as debris spread in all directions.

Andrew was gone.

Author's Note: This one was HARD! Math finals got in the way, so this one is a bit short. Go nuts on me if you hate it, that won't stop me! LOL

Rock On!


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The whole team watched in shock as the remaining parts of Andrew's Wolfen disintegrated and faded away.

"I…uh…wow." Fox thought, as he couldn't believe what he had just seen.

Ever since he had joined the mercenary business, Fox had seen some very impressive kills. Some were by others or by just him. But, in all of his years of flying Arwings and engaging in fierce combat, he had never seen such an astounding kill in his entire career.

But, what amazed Fox the most about what he had just witnessed was that it was Jason's first kill.

"A…Andrew." Leon shivered, as Wolf sneered at the Coyote.

" You will rue what you have done, Punk!"

Jason couldn't hear one word. It was as if a wave of satisfaction and true realization had swept over him like a wave at the beach. A rather malicious grin crept over his brown furred face as he replied to O'Donnell in cruel, threatening, and dark words.

"If you ever, and I mean ever, attack us and the planet of Corneria… your blood will rest on my hands."

Both teams gasped in horror, as Jason still had the dark smile on his face.

Knowing they had no chance with three fighters against six, Star Wolf retreated back to their HQ.

As Star Fox returned home, Jason suddenly felt his satisfaction change. He had never killed anybody before. Now that it had happened, Jason felt different in a way. He felt a sharp pain in his conscious that told him what he had just done wasn't honorable. Those two familiar emotions of no turning back had finally sunk deep into the core of his heart.

Those emotions were guilt and remorse.

"Miyu!" he thought. "Oh man! I said that right in front of her!"

Jason could only hang his head in shame in realization of what a monster he sounded like after saying that. He could only imagine how scared she must have felt after what he had stated.

" If I'm not comfortable with killing, then what am I doing here?" he asked himself, as his Arwing drifted back to the Great Fox with his team.

OOO

"I haven't seen a kill that good in years!" Slippy exclaimed as he drank more of his root beer and savored the fizzy sensation on his taste buds.

Falco leaned back against the wall of the corridor and replied.

"It sure was nice for Jason's first time, but something seemed wrong with him after that little scuffle."

Slippy raised a brow quizzically as he asked the bird.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, didn't you notice that Jason was pretty damn quiet on the way back?"

Slippy nodded his head and once again, took another sip of his root beer.

"It just seems that he's hiding something from us." Falco continued. "I just hope he's doing okay."

While all of this was happening, Jason was lying on his bed, as he stared up at the ceiling. He knew that Andrew probably deserved to die after all of the chaos he had created with Star Wolf, but he still felt guilty after taking his life.

The notepad that contained his written music rested on his stomach, as he was almost finished with everything he had written down. Now, all that was left were the melody and lyrics.

But, Jason didn't feel like doing anything at this point. He was so distraught and confused on why he was acting so depressed.

"Lighten up, dumbass!" he scolded himself softly as he hid his notepad under his bed and continued to stare up into the ceiling.

"Miyu saw all of that." He thought. "She heard me say that awful thing."

Jason put a slapped himself in the face as he continued to scold and pout in his bed.

"Jason? Are you in there?" a female voice asked from outside the stressed Coyote's door as Jason painfully recognized who it was.

"Miyu?" he asked. "You can come in."

The beautiful Lynx opened the door to find her secret crush sitting on the foot of his bed. He forced a weak smile to come across his face, as Miyu returned a broad one and chimed

"Hi."

"Hey." Jason replied as he looked down and twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"So, you got your first kill!" The Lynx exclaimed as she moved closer to Jason. "How does it feel?"

"Awesome." Jason lied softly as he tilted his head down in shame. He never wanted to lie to anyone, especially someone special, like Miyu.

Miyu's smile quickly faded to that of concern and doubt, as she hated to see the Coyote so upset. She knew that Jason wasn't feeling so upbeat on the way back to the Great Fox. She could also tell that he was regretting something.

"Jason, what's wrong?" Miyu asked worriedly, as she placed a hand softly on Jason's strong shoulder. She was amazed by how hard and broad it was.

Jason blushed feverously, as he felt Miyu's soft and delicate hand rub his shoulder. He couldn't help but enjoy the sensation he received from Miyu's touch.

"Uh…um…" Jason stuttered as he noticed how much he was blushing.

Miyu giggled and retracted her hand from Jason's shoulder.

"Sorry." She blushed, as she put a hand behind her neck.

"Oh! It's fine!" Jason assured. "You did nothing wrong."

Miyu couldn't believe how nice Jason was to her. So many awkward moments had occurred between them, that it almost seemed like they were supposed to happen. Also, Miyu couldn't believe that a musical genius like Jason would take up a job as a mercenary. He just seemed too brilliant and talented to make a living out of killing others, even if those people were completely evil and demented.

"Jason?" Miyu asked curiously.

"Yup?" Jason replied as he fell back on his bed and sighed.

"You seem down in the dumps." Miyu explained. "May I ask why?"

Jason rested his hands behind his head as he, once again, stared into the ceiling.

"Well…it's just that I've never killed anybody before." The Coyote confessed. "I just feel a bit…guilty."

Miyu smiled and chuckled a bit.

"So…that's what you're all depressed about?" Miyu asked as her chuckle faded.

Jason sat up straight to face the Lynx he loved so much. He nodded in a confessing manner and grew slightly red.

"Great! Now she thinks I'm not mercenary material!" Jason mentally scolded himself.

"That's very sensitive of you, Jason." Miyu admired the Coyote.

Jason smiled warmly as Miyu's statement stroked his ego. He loved her to a point where he couldn't sleep at night. She was so thoughtful and stunningly beautiful, that Jason felt inspired whenever he saw her. All in all, Jason loved Miyu so much, it was probably the most intense feeling he had felt for someone since his father.

"Thank you, Miyu." Jason managed to say as a wide ad happy smile spread across his face.

"My pleasure, Jason." Miyu replied truthfully. "And don't worry about killing Andrew, he was a fucking asshole!"

Jason and Miyu burst into hysterics. But, suddenly, fate put them in a position they had dreamed of being in. While Miyu was laughing, she didn't notice that one of her laces was untied on her shoes. While stepping forward, she accidentally tripped and fell forward onto Jason.

And once again, another awkward moment had occurred.

Jason looked up to find Miyu on top of him, blushing like mad. Jason, also engulfed in a sea of red, began stuttering uncontrollably.

"I…I'm s…sorry, M…Miyu."

Miyu giggled as she reluctantly got off of Jason's strong and amazing body.

"Nah. It's my fault."

Jason and Miyu couldn't believe all of the odd moments that had occurred between them. But, all it did was open both of their eyes to the possible relationship that they could create.

What Miyu said next would also help build that possible relationship.

"Actually, Jason" Miyu began. "I'm going to go explore the city tomorrow, and I was wondering if you'd like to come along."

Miyu's proposal immediately sunk into the Coyote's brain, as he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Is she asking me out?" Jason thought disbelievingly.

"Uh…s…sure." Jason confirmed as his heart fluttered.

"Great!" Miyu exclaimed joyfully. "See you tomorrow!"

Jason nodded, as he watched Miyu exit his room. He desperately tried to keep his eyes off of the Lynx's amazing body, but to no avail. He was lost in her, and fortunately for him, he would be spending time with her tomorrow.

Author's Note: Well, isn't Jason lucky? LOL

Sorry about the long wait. Just three more days of school and I am out of there!

Rock On!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The Coyote was caught in the same situation for the past few months. He was exhausted, worn out, and hell bent on finishing his "song."

"Almost done." Jason gasped exhaustingly.

Beyond all of the tiring work he was putting into his song, Jason couldn't have felt more proud of himself. He was finally starting to feel more accomplished as a musician and, best of all; he also had a person who he had intense feelings for. Miyu was that one special person for Jason. She literally destroyed all of the depression that Jason felt for himself, and filled that hole that his father's death had left him with. To Jason, Miyu was a goddess, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world to know her.

"Can't believe she'd ask a dumb ass, like me, to go out with her."

Jason immediately threw that thought away, as his ever so annoying sub-conscious scolded him mercilessly.

"It's not like it's a date, Jason! She only wants to get to know you."

Jason rolled his eyes as he fixed them on his notepad.

"It's slow, yet melodic, in a way." Jason thought to himself. "I need to think of a title that can fit that sort of sound."

Suddenly, Miyu crossed the Coyote's mind, as he dreamily smiled to himself. Her beauty, positive attitude, and overall personality fit his song perfectly. Then, the title came to his mind in an instant.

"This is for you, Miyu." Jason muttered, as he proudly wrote the title down. "I love you."

OOO

Krystal was in the hanger, as she was carefully fixing a loose system wire in her Arwing. Although the work for her was tedious, she couldn't have felt happier in her life. Finally, after years of courtship, she and Fox had confessed their feelings for each other. She was also amazed at how sudden it was. One minute, she was feeling sorry for herself, and then, in a matter of seconds, Fox rushed to her side and kissed her.

"It was so unbelievable." She thought while handling the wire. "Even after all that has happened between us, we still love each other."

"Need a hand?" a friendly and sweet voice growled from behind the blue Vixen.

"Sure, love." She purred back as the Vulpine she loved made his way under the Arwing to help her.

Their faces met, as their lips were only a few centimeters away from each other.

Krystal smiled heartily, as she couldn't help but once again become a lost soul in Fox's emerald gaze. Those eyes were the most amazing things she had ever seen in her life.

"Hi, Krystal." Fox greeted the amazing Vixen.

"Hello." She chimed back.

Fox gave Krystal a quick peck on the cheek, as he started to help he with the wiring.

"So, anything serious I need to help you with?" Fox asked.

"Not really…" Krystal purred. "Maybe I just wanted you down here…with me."

Fox turned back at the Vixen and smiled heartily.

Krystal crawled up next to Fox as she wrapped her delicate arms around his strong waist and hugged him tightly.

"I'll always be by your side, Fox." She said truthfully. "I'll never make the same mistake again."

"And I'll never make the same mistake again, as well." Fox answered back, as he turned Krystal around and kissed her passionately.

The Vixen could feel Fox's tongue make it's way into her mouth as she growled in pleasure. Her hands were placed on his hard chest, while his hands gently pinned her down to the floor. The kiss grew even more intense, as neither partner dared to let go.

"I love you, Krystal, and I'll never stop loving you." Fox managed to mutter into his lover's ear, as he immediately attacked her lips in ever growing passion.

Tears formed at the edge of Krystal's eyes, as she knew that Fox would never lie to her. Ever since she joined the team that one fateful day, she knew that Fox would be the only man that she would ever truly love. But, she had no idea that they would ever make it together.

Now, she knew she was wrong.

"Fox, I think we still need to fix my Arwing." The Vixen chuckled cutely.

"Yeah, okay." Fox replied lovingly, as he gave another peck to Krystal's lips.

After fixing the Arwing's wiring, Fox and Krystal reluctantly parted ways for a while.

Krystal was walking down the hallway, as a female voice called to her.

"Hi, Krystal!" Miyu chimed like a bell, as she was wearing a very nice outfit. The outfit was a nice, black T-shirt, which said in bold yellow letters, "RUSH." She also was wearing a pair of blue jeans that were rolled up to about her ankles. She had a cute little red bow placed in her gorgeous hair, as Krystal was dumbfounded at how great she looked.

"Hey, Miyu!" Krystal replied back kindly. "What are you all dressed up for?"

Miyu raised a brow and looked down at herself.

"What? It's just casual wear for me." Miyu chuckled.

"Well, you just look really great." Krystal said. "May I ask why you are dressed differently?

Miyu blushed feverously. She didn't tell anyone that she and Jason were going to go down to Corneria to explore. Now, she had to tell someone, for she was not the type who fibbed.

"Well, uh…" Miyu stuttered. "Jason and I were going to head down to Corneria to see some sights. You know, just to get to know each other."

Krystal's eyes widened in surprise, as she couldn't believe what she had heard.

"You mean… like a date?" Krystal asked.

"No! No! Not like that!" Miyu burst out bashfully. "We're just hanging out to get to know each other."

Krystal rolled her eyes doubtfully.

"Yeah, so you're just wearing that RUSH shirt for nothing, then?"

Miyu's muzzle dropped slightly, as she couldn't believe that someone as foreign and naïve as Krystal could know about a human band.

"Krystal how'd you…

"Miyu, Jason literally adores that band. He listens to them whenever he works out." Krystal explained.

"Oh…" Miyu finally realized. "Just a coincidence, then."

Krystal chuckled softly, as she could tell that it was no coincidence at all.

"Okay, well, you two have fun, I guess."

"Thanks, Krystal." Miyu said, as she turned for the door.

Krystal watched the Lynx head down the doorway. She snickered, as she thought to herself

"Oh, Jason. You have one interesting night ahead of you."

OOO

The Coyote achieved all of his duties that day. He kept guard of the Great Fox's exterior, helped R.O.B fix up his data chip, and also got most of the lyrics of his song done.

Now, the one crucial thing that he had been looking forward to had finally arrived. He made sure to look presentable for the Lynx with a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, blue jeans, combed hair, and fresh breath.

Jason looked at himself in the mirror briefly and sighed. He knew that Miyu was far too knowledgeable of fashion sense to think that an Earth band T-shirt was something good to wear on a night on Corneria.

"Well, I might as well just swallow my pride and let her bash it."

That was when his attention was diverted from the mirror to his door.

"Jason, you ready in there?" a soothing and excited voice asked from the outside.

Jason smiled when he heard Miyu's sweet voice. It was so comforting and laid back.

"I'll be out soon, just give me a few seconds." Jason replied politely.

"Okay."

After washing his face up a tad, Jason made his way to the door. Jason had a very funny feeling inside of him at that particular moment. It was a mixed feeling that burned inside the young Coyote. He had never felt this nervous around anyone. But, that nervousness seemed to meld with excitement. Jason didn't know where this feeling came from, but he rather liked it.

"Okay, I'm a coming." Jason said humorously as he began to turn the knob of his door.

He heard a small giggle come from Miyu as he once again became smitten by the Lynx's amazing voice. She was so perfect to him, that it wasn't even funny.

Jason opened the door, revealing himself to the Lynx. His eyes dilated, as he couldn't believe the angel before him.

"Hey there, handsome." Miyu chimed.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. It's hard for me to find the time with hockey camp. Well, that's number 24. I'll try to update ASAP.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

It is amazing how eerily beautiful the vast and never- ending universe can be. It makes us wonder, discover, and ponder on about what else could be out there. The stars captivate even the simplest of minds, and the galaxies only further the theory of other signs of life. But none of that could compare to Jason's thoughts on a certain Lynx he was flying with. To him, nothing else mattered when he saw her. Time stopped when he saw her perfect figure stride gracefully, and her oceanic blue eyes could woo a countless army of men. Now, Jason knew that there was such a thing as incredible beauty when he saw Miyu.

"And I'm spending time alone with her." Jason thought in astonishment. "I am one lucky Coyote."

OOO

The two Arwings touched down on the platforms at the Cornerian spaceport, as Jason and Miyu were able to rent a car and explore the city. Corneria probably had the best city in all of the Lylat, although the crime rate was starting to become an issue.

But, Jason didn't care about Corneria. All he cared about was not acting like a complete jerk in front of Miyu. Jason knew that Miyu was sensitive, so for the night, he would be on his best behavior. Besides, seeing the Lynx upset would probably destroy his entire universe.

Miyu couldn't help but snicker at Jason as he drove the rental car smoothly and delicately. He looked so professional, yet so stable and relaxed.

"I have to tell him something." Miyu thought. "Somebody has to tell him how unbelievably perfect he is."

"Jason, it was really sweet of you to come along with me." Miyu interrupted Jason's thinking.

The Coyote immediately was engulfed in red as he was flattered by the Lynx's compliment.

Jason turned his head to the Lynx and smiled.

"It's my pleasure." So, what do you want to do? We've got a lot of time!'

Miyu laid her head back and thought about what she wanted to do with the Coyote. In her mind, there was only one thing that she wanted to with Jason, and that was something that she knew she couldn't do… yet.

"You wouldn't even dare to think of that!" Miyu's sub-conscious roared.

Miyu immediately pulled that odd thought from her mind and decided to respond to the Coyote. She was feeling a little hungry at that time, for she had not eaten for quite some time.

"Well, I'm a bit hungry." Miyu stated.

"Me too." Jason replied. "You want to get some dinner?"

Miyu's ears perked up in excitement.

"Sounds awesome! Thanks, Jason!"

Jason nodded and smiled, as he gently pulled into a nice, quiet sub-urban restaurant that he and his father used to go to when he was just a cub. The restaurant was called

"Derry's"

"Okay, Jason." The Coyote coached himself as he and the Lynx he adored entered the restaurant.

"Just don't act like an idiot."

OOO

"He's so amazing. For just a rock and roll guy, he's such a charmer." Miyu thought deeply of the handsome Coyote sitting across from her.

For Miyu, Jason was a breathtaking person. His long hair was wonderfully combed and clean. I addition, he had a very strong figure that could leave any women on the floor. But to her, Jason was so much more than just that kind of person.

He was also genuinely polite towards the people he knew and loved. Miyu also knew that Jason was very gentle and kind. He was so unusual, yet in a positive way. To Miyu, he was the definition of perfect.

"Nice shirt."

Miyu immediately broke herself from her dream-like state and tried to grasp reality, in order to respond to the Coyote.

"Huh?" she asked like she was from another planet.

Jason laughed and said

"Your shirt, it's very cool!"

Miyu blushed and turned her head slightly to the side to hide her redness. But, it was all but too noticeable for Jason.

"Thanks." Miyu managed to mutter. "Rush has always been one of my all time favorites."

The Coyote smiled broadly and replied.

"That band is probably my favorite of all!"

Miyu smiled slightly, as she caught a glimpse of Jason's T-shirt.

"Led Zeppelin?" She asked.

Jason looked down as he noticed what she was talking about.

"Oh yeah! They're up there in my list as well."

Jason and Miyu laughed heartily, as a Raccoon with a fuzzy haircut and baggy eyes came up to their table with a notepad and a visor hat.

"Hi there, welcome to Derry's!" the Raccoon chimed. "My name is Alan and I will be serving you two. Would you like to start out with something to drink?"

Jason and Miyu looked at each other.

"Ladies first!" Jason chuckled as he couldn't help but become a prisoner of the Lynx's oceanic blue eyes.

"Thank you." Miyu played along as she faced the waiter and ordered her beverage.

"I'll just have some water."

The waiter nodded as he wrote it down on his notepad with a dark black pen.

"And you, sir?"

"I'll have a water, too." Jason confirmed.

After writing down two waters, the waiter nodded and moved away from the table to get the beverages and serve them to the couple.

Jason and Miyu began to peer into their menus, as they looked for something that they were really in the mood for.

"What're you getting?" Jason asked the Lynx.

Miyu laughed and replied

"I'm torn between the rib eye steak and the classic Derry burger!"

"I'd have the burger." Jason recommended. "It is probably one of the best I've ever had in my life!"

Miyu raised a brow curiously.

"What makes it so special?"

Suddenly, at that particular moment, Jason's heart dropped. Now, he had to tell Miyu of his dark and depressing past.

"Well…my father used to take me here for special occasions."

Miyu nodded and asked

"How is he?"

At that particular moment, Jason felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. There was no turning back. It was time to tell her the honest truth of what happened to him in his past.

"He's…not really around anymore, Miyu." Jason explained.

"What do you mean?" Miyu asked, perplexed.

Jason fidgeted with his fingers and slightly choked up. But, he didn't want to release emotion now, especially towards Miyu.

Jason decided to just spit it out so that it would be over and done with.

"He was shot down…Miyu." Jason began. "He uh…died."

Then, the perspective of perfection faded away from Jason's eyes, as he saw the Lynx's eyes widen in horror. She put her delicate paw to her gaping mouth, as she couldn't believe what she had just heard Jason say.

"Oh…oh my God!" The Lynx managed to mutter, as her pain for the Coyote grew immensely. "Jason…I…I'm so sorry!"

Jason could only lower his ears in shame and regret.

"Why the hell would you tell her that?" His sub-conscious screamed. "Do you have any idea of what you have just caused?"

Jason hesitantly brought his face to Miyu's and said

"I should be sorry, Miyu. I know that I should have never told you that, and now I am sure that you feel very uncomfortable."

Once again, Miyu was completely stricken by the Coyote's polite and reassuring attitude.

"He has nothing to be sorry about." Miyu thought dreamily. "And that's a fact."

"Jason, I'm fine." Miyu explained. "It's just… I can't imagine what kind of pain you had to go through!

The Coyote nodded his head slightly and stated briefly

"It was pretty rough."

Miyu smiled and said

"Well, I'm sure your father was a wonderful man…because he had a kid like you."

It was if a train of love had hit him right on the spot at that particular moment. Miyu's words were so flattering to Jason. They seemed to reboot his good mood and recover from his recent depression.

"Th…thanks Miyu." Jason stuttered, as the Raccoon came back with two refreshing glasses of water on a single round, black tray.

"Here you go!" The waiter said as he carefully placed the two glasses of water on the table carefully. "You guys ready to order?"

"Yes." Jason and Miyu sad in unison.

Jason and Miyu both ordered the classic Derry burger, and they both enjoyed it thoroughly. After their tasty meal, the couple departed the restaurant with satisfied stomachs, as they packed into the rental car to explore more of what Corneria had to offer.

"That burger was amazing!" Miyu exclaimed as she laid back in her seat and sighed.

"Told you it would be awesome!" Jason laughed as a red light halted their vehicle.

Miyu started to blush and look down. She began twiddling her thumbs nervously and muttered

"Jason?"

The Coyote turned his head to Miyu and asked.

"Yes, Miyu?"

Miyu smiled and, seemingly on impulse, rested her head on Jason's broad shoulder.

"Thanks a lot for tagging along with me." She sighed, as she closed her eyes, enjoying every millisecond of the moment she was experiencing.

Jason put on a funny, nervous grin and replied.

"P…pleasure's all mine."

Miyu chuckled, as she reluctantly retracted her head off of the Coyote's shoulder.

Jason stepped on the gas as soon as the light turned green.

"I can't believe how lucky I am!" Jason chimed in his thoughts. I mean… I got a job with Star Fox, my songwriting is improving, and I am spending a day with an angel!"

Little did Jason know, that he was about to enter one wild night.

Author's Note: ASAP? BULLSHIT!

LOL. Sorry for taking so long! I'm changing my story to M so that I won't have to worry about going down the board (Among other reasons). Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this one, and there will be more to come.

Rock on!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The Coyote was in heaven, to say the least.

Never had he been so stricken by a single person in his entire life. Miyu seemed to be the only living thing that Jason truly cared for. Without her, the young man would probably have no ambition or drive to do anything with his own life. In other words, he would be hopelessly lost without the companionship of the beautiful Lynx, sitting beside him, on a hot summer evening, with slowly melting ice cream cones in their paws.

The couple was sitting peacefully together on a little towel. They were at one of Corneria's most peaceful and prestigious beaches. All they did together at that time was just watch the sunset fade as the night drew closer.

"Jason." Miyu said.

The Coyote turned his attention from the sunset to the angelic Lynx that sat next to him. He smiled, as the sound of Miyu's voice made his eardrums tingle in ecstasy.

"Yes, Miyu?" Jason asked.

Miyu blushed and looked down at her feet. The Lynx could not believe the wonderful personality that the Coyote had. He was so polite and friendly, but very sensitive and defensive at the same time. Also, he had such a unique taste in things. He didn't follow the popular crowd, like most did. He would never let anyone change and control him, which Miyu adored. But, out of all the things that Miyu had learned of Jason, she was sure of one thing.

"I am in love with this man. " She thought. "I love Jason Evans."

Miyu cleared her throat and said to the Coyote

"I…I just wanted to thank you for everything tonight. You really are a sweet and kind man, and I really enjoyed my evening with you."

Jason put on a broad grin and replied

"Thank you, Miyu. I also had a great time."

Inside, Jason was really struggling to control himself. The Lynx before him was so pure, beautiful, and unbelievable. Her blue eyes were like the beautiful blue sky, and her fur was so soft and warm.

"Oh, God." Jason thought. " I don't think I can hold myself much longer."

Then, suddenly, Jason felt something unbelievably comfortable make contact with his hand. He blushed feverously as he looked down to see what it was. His ears perked up, as he found out that it was Miyu's hand that rested on his own.

Jason's eyes met Miyu's as they were, once again, locked in a dream like state for each other. Desires and urges were swirling around their minds, as they couldn't help but just ogle each other. The attraction between Jason and Miyu was incredible. They both knew what they wanted.

Each other.

Suddenly, Miyu found herself inching closer to Jason's lips as she closed her eyes in anticipation. The blush on her face was entirely noticeable, as Jason's mind was screaming.

"DON'T!" It yelled. "Not now! You've only known her for a month!"

But, the Coyote didn't know what to do. Miyu was getting closer and he knew what she wanted. She wanted to make it official. She wanted to establish a relationship with him, with a kiss. Not a peck on the cheek, a real, passionate, kiss.

"Wait…M…Miyu." Jason whispered, as the Lynx opened her eyes slightly. She giggled cutely and said

"Yes, handsome?"

Jason's eyes lowered in a dream like state, as the Lynx before him was so stunningly beautiful. She was on her knees over Jason's body, with a look of hunger in her eyes. It was a look of lust.

But, even though Jason loved Miyu with all of his heart, the Coyote couldn't help but feel totally uncomfortable with the situation. Jason had never experienced these desires before, and he didn't feel quite ready to release them.

"I…I can't do this."

Miyu's ears lowered in surprise and disappointment.

"What do you mean, Jason?"

Miyu got off of Jason, as the Coyote explained.

"Miyu…you're pretty and all…but…"

"But?" Miyu asked, perplexed.

Jason lowered his head and confessed

"I'm just not exactly ready for a relationship right now."

Miyu put on a face of disappointment. Yet, she wasn't mad at the Coyote at all. In fact, she was actually a bit impressed that Jason was able to decline her kiss.

"I'm sorry, Miyu." Jason sighed as he buried his face in his hands. "I didn't mean to…"

"Hey." Miyu cut in. "Don't worry about it at all. I'm actually quite flattered, to be honest."

Jason raised his head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You mean… you're not offended?"

"Offended?" Miyu asked. "No, of course not, Jason. The guys I've been with before probably were never as polite and well mannered as you. In fact, that's what I really like about you. Your personality is just so amazing."

The Coyote blushed and put a hand behind his neck. He never knew that Miyu could be so forgiving and understanding. And, at that moment, Jason could find another fact about the Lynx that made him love her even more.

"Thanks, Miyu." Jason said gratefully.

Miyu smiled happily, which meant, "You're welcome."

After they finished their ice cream, Jason and Miyu returned to the Great Fox, their night officially done with.

OOO

It was 11:30 at night, and everyone on the Great Fox was sound asleep. Well, everyone except for Jason that is.

The Coyote, yawning over and over again, was writing the lyrics and melody of the song. Jason was absolutely exhausted, but, whenever he felt like just turning in for the night, the thought of whom the song was for would always cross his mind.

"Man, I can't get her out of my head." He groaned quietly, as the thoughts of the beautiful Lynx swirled around his brain.

"I'm almost done." He thought. "The only thing I have to get through is the final verse and get this approved by Falco."

Jason pondered to think of the words that could best describe his feelings for the certain Lynx. Then, at that moment, an incredible idea popped into the Coyotes head.

"I got it!" he though excitedly, as he jotted down the final verse on his lyric sheet.

After Jason wrote down the last, defining sentence, a great feeling had washed over him. It was a feeling of accomplishment. Finally, he had fulfilled Krystal's challenge, of writing a song.

"I can't believe it." He thought. "This is the greatest feeling I've ever experienced in my life. I actually wrote my own song."

Jason chuckled in disbelief as he settled down in bed for the night. Even after all that he had accomplished, he still could not shake the idea of Miyu from his head. No, she was just too special to forget.

"I love her…so much." Jason whispered as he closed his eyes and let the sleep overtake him. "Damn, what a crazy night."

OOO

She was sleeping by his side, her blue fur glowing brightly as the sun shined through the window. The Vixen stirred and woke up happily to see the Vulpine sleeping soundly.

Krystal thought that Fox looked so adorable just sleeping soundly. But, duties had to be done, and Krystal decided to wake the love of her life up.

To wake him up, Krystal kissed him softly on the lips and shook him a bit.

"Wake up, Fox." She purred, as the Vulpine stirred and woke up.

"Morning, Krystal." He mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning, Fox." She replied lovingly.

Krystal gave Fox a warm and loving embrace, hugging him tight. Fox chuckled and returned the hug, wrapping his strong arms around her waist.

"It's amazing." Fox thought. "I could spend my whole life with this woman."

The two Foxes reluctantly retracted their arms from each other and headed off for duty.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long again, and also, sorry if the "wild night" Jason had wasn't exactly wild. Well, I'm going to take a little break for now. Going to see Santana and the Allman Brothers! Yeah!

Rock On!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

It was 8:00 AM, as the Coyote groggily struggled to get himself out of bed. The whole month for Jason was extremely tiring, to put it at best. He wrote a song, gained money as a mercenary, and met the most angelic girl in his entire life.

" I still can't really believe this is happening." Jason thought hazily, as he stepped into his shower to eliminate the awful stench that resided on his skin.

A single image, for some reason, caught the Coyote's attention as the warm and comforting water drenched his brown fur. It was his reflection in the glass door of the shower.

"Look at you." He chuckled softly, as the reflection mimicked his expression. "How could a raggedy punk like you get so damn lucky?"

Jason shrugged at himself and decided to put the question aside. He washed himself, put on his flying attire, and headed down for breakfast.

"Well, I guess I better show what I wrote to Falco." He thought. "Hopefully, it isn't too mushy for him."

Jason laughed quietly, as he made his way to the kitchen.

OOO

"I feel so ashamed."

Miyu buried her face in her paws, as she mentally scolded herself for trying to kiss the Coyote she loved so much the other night.

"If I had just ignored my urges, the night would've been much better." Miyu mumbled as she slowly ate her omelet.

"Hey, Miyu."

The Lynx turned her head suddenly to find Jason walking towards the counter, yawning in the process.

"Morning, Jason." Miyu chimed happily.

Jason grabbed a box of cereal, and suddenly started whistling a little tune. Miyu's ears perked up in surprise as the sound of the melody from Jason's whistling caught her attention. It sounded so pure and enchanting to the Lynx, yet, she had never heard of the tune before.

"Well, it still sounds great." She thought as she continued eating her omelet.

Jason took a seat next to the Lynx, as the awkwardness from last night was still fresh in their memory.

"Oh, boy." Jason thought. " After what happened last night, I still feel a bit uneasy about it."

"I really shouldn't have pressured him like that!" Miyu thought. "What if he doesn't like me because of it?"

Jason rubbed the back of his head nervously, as he tried desperately to not make the situation any more awkward than it already was. Miyu was blushing like mad as she continued to chow down on her omelet.

"He's so handsome. I've never been attracted to anyone like this!" Miyu thought dreamily. " What hair! What eyes! What a man!"

Jason grew a bit red as he noticed Miyu scotching closer to him. The Lynx looked down and twiddled her thumbs, and decided to make conversation with the Coyote.

"So… I had a great time last night." Miyu started.

"Yeah…uh…so did I." Jason replied nervously.

"What are you eating?" Miyu asked.

"Just some Chocolate Puffs. You?"

"Oh…uh…an omelet." Miyu replied, as she finished her breakfast.

Jason set his spoon down and put on a look of concern for the Lynx.

"She must feel a bit embarrassed about last night." He thought. " Okay, Jason, time to make the girl of your dreams smile."

Jason nodded to himself, as he chowed down on his cereal slowly. The chocolate puffs that were being devoured in Jason's mouth tasted delicious as he moaned in delight.

"Man, this cereal is good!" He bellowed as he continued to eat his breakfast happily. "This may be my new favorite, eh?"

Jason nudged Miyu playfully as the Lynx giggled heartily. She loved how cute the Coyote was being. He had such an intellectual mind, yet, he wasn't afraid to hang loose and goof around at times.

"What about cornflakes?" Miyu played along as she nudged him back in a friendly manner. "I thought that was your favorite cereal."

Jason smiled in a funny way that made Miyu burst into hysterics.

"Jason!" Miyu laughed. " You're so funny!"

Jason's heart melted like a snowman in hot weather after he heard the Lynx's compliment. Miyu could always bring out the best in everyone. Her personality and heartwarming sight forced Jason control every urge that he felt when he saw her.

"Thanks, Miyu." Jason replied kindly, as he finished his cereal.

Miyu grinned as she got up, stretched, and yawned.

"Well, I better get to work." She sighed. "Fox doesn't like a slacker."

Jason nodded and chuckled, as she waved goodbye to him and headed out of the kitchen. The Coyote didn't notice, but as the Lynx exited the room, she turned around and secretly blew him a kiss.

OOO

The Vulpine was alone in his room, stretching out on the floor as he began his morning routine. Fox was always restless when it came to preparation, and as a leader of a mercenary squad, he always had to be on special alert.

But, Fox was getting sick of it.

Fox was in his mid twenties, still young and full of life, but the call of duty had become a rarity, and Fox was losing his excitement with his job. Also, most importantly, he had someone. Ever since Fox had met the Vixen that one fateful day, he knew that she would be the woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Krystal was everything to him. When she was hurt, he was hurt. When she was happy, he was happy. In simpler words, Krystal gave Fox the will to live on.

"It makes me wonder if I could ever be able to settle down with her."

Fox shook his head as he dropped the thought of marrying Krystal."

"Don't think like that!" he scolded himself. "You just told her you loved her! There's no need to rush things."

Fox went into a butterfly stretch and groaned quietly as he felt his muscles tighten.

"Still." He muttered. "I can't do the same thing for the rest of my life."

Fox decided to stop thinking about retirement plans, got up, and headed out the door.

Fox walked slowly down the hallway and yawned tiredly. He rubbed the crust away from his eyes while entering the kitchen to eat his breakfast.

"I will marry her though." Fox thought. "I just have to."

"Fox! Hey Fox!"

Fox's ears perked up as he noticed Falco running down the hallway with a wide grin on his face. Fox mimicked his grin as he stared curiously at a photograph that the Avian was holding.

"What's up, Falco?" Fox asked his best friend.

Falco chuckled as he struggled to get the words out.

"Take a good look at this."

Falco handed Fox the picture. Once the Vulpine laid eyes on it, he couldn't help but burst out into laughter.

The photograph showed a picture of a certain Vulpine and Avian. They were both on a small stage in a high school gym. The Vulpine had long hair that went all of the way down to the middle of his back. He was holding a microphone in his hand, as his eyes were clamped shut. His mouth hung agape in a screaming expression, while he raised his fist as high as he could. To his side, the Avian had dyed the top of his head feathers green and stuck his tongue out rebelliously at the crowd. He held his bass in his hands and played it with a wild aggression. It was Fox and Falco, in their days as a band.

"I looked so stupid." Fox chuckled. "I haven't seen myself like that in decades."

"Those were the days, eh?" Falco reminisced.

"Yep."

"I found this buried in my closet." Falco said. "Can't believe it isn't crumpled."

"Pretty weird." Fox agreed. "Those were some great years."

"Redemption's cons." Falco sated proudly of the band's name.

"Yeah, Redemption's cons." Fox stated back.

Falco took the picture back and smiled.

"Well, I better get to work."

Fox nodded.

"Okay." Fox said. " See you around."

Falco walked off into the control deck, leaving Fox alone with his thoughts.

"You know." Fox thought. "What if we could relive those days?"

Author's Note: Well, there's another chapter. Sorry for the long wait, again. And, if you think it's stupid that I changed the rating AGAIN, well I'm sorry.

Rock On!

P.S I know that the band name is terrible. LOL.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"I can't stop thinking about him."

The Lynx was sitting quietly in her room with a laptop. She was just browsing through the Internet, looking at different pieces of information. Miyu was on break, and she intended to spend it wisely. But, whenever she tried to relax, her mind kept pressing on about the Coyote who slept only a few doors down from her.

" He's so unbelievable in many ways." Miyu thought of Jason. " If only I wasn't so stupid for coming on to him like that!"

The Lynx groaned as she fell back on to her bed. She felt very foolish for her actions that one night she spent with the Coyote. But, she couldn't help but feel satisfied by what she had done.

"Well, at least I got some of my feelings out."

Miyu closed her eyes and sighed, as she went on with her break.

OOO

The Coyote was nervously standing outside of the Avian's room with the lyrics carefully protected by his hand. His other hand went to the door for a quick knock. Jason may have looked calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was a nervous wreck.

"He's going to hate this!" Jason assumed mentally. " Why did I think that a song like this would interest him in any way? He's a metal fan, not a gushy, mushy, love songwriter!"

Jason's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching the door.

"Hold up for a minute, I have to stretch." Falco called out.

Jason nodded understandingly and patiently waited for Falco's arrival to the door. A single drop of sweat dropped from the Coyote's forehead and fell to the cold ground in a tiny splash.

Jason's ears twitched as the door opened to reveal a tired and discombobulated Falco. He had bags under his eyes and yawned loudly.

"Hey, man. What's the good word?" He chuckled, as he cracked his neck.

Jason smiled and said

"Well, I've been working on that song and I was wondering if you could check it out."

Falco yawned again and replied

"Sure! I can give it a look."

Jason nodded, as the Avian snatched the paper out of the Coyote's hand and retreated back into his room.

"I'll tell you what I think about it later." Falco called as Jason left.

"Okay." Jason replied as he walked down the hallway.

Inside, Jason was relieved that he was able to give the song to Falco, but he was still very worried of the outcome.

"What if he finds out that it's for Miyu?" Jason wondered, as he stressed over Falco's thoughts over the song. "He'll think I'm such a wuss."

Jason slammed the wall with his fist angrily and growled.

"Damn!"

"Jason?"

His heart stopped, as everything became very quiet. Jason slowly jerked his head behind himself to find Krystal, with a concerned look in her face. The Coyote immediately regretted his actions, as he turned to face the Vixen.

"Hey." Jason mumbled, as he hung his head down in shame.

Krystal's concerned look was still on her pretty face. Krystal was always the one to help people with emotional issues, and this was one of them.

"Jason, you seem… stressed." Krystal assumed, as she walked towards the Coyote.

Jason put a hand behind his head and rubbed it nervously. He never wanted to act up in front of people, especially his friends.

"I'm sorry!" Jason burst out. "I'm just kind of …well…"

"Jason, it's okay." Krystal reassured. "We've all had our outbursts of anger."

The Coyote leaned up against the wall and groaned.

"Yeah, well, I just don't want to make another bad impression."

Krystal chuckled heartily.

"Well, why are you all riled up?"

Jason sighed as he replied to the blue Vixen.

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

Krystal rolled her eyes in annoyance of trying to get an answer out of the Coyote. She put a hand on Jason's shoulder and kindly said

"Jason, it's okay, you can tell me."

The Coyote had decided to just spit it out and confess.

"I just don't think that the song I'm writing is any good."

Krystal couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that Jason had worked hard for months on that song. How could he even think that it was terrible?

" Jason, come on!" Krystal said. " I bet it's not that bad!"

The Coyote sheepishly put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

"Well, Falco is checking it out right now. I guess we'll have to see."

"Jason!" Krystal chuckled. "It's your song! Not his!"

The Coyote turned his attention to the Vixen, as he was a bit confused.

"What do you mean, Krystal?"

"Who cares what Falco thinks about it?" Krystal stated truthfully. "It is not HIS work!"

Jason smiled gratefully at Krystal. He was grateful due to the fact that she was able to make him realize an important moral on the meaning of songwriting. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of it. If you are proud of what you have written, then another's opinion shouldn't matter.

"Thanks, Krystal." Jason said as he patted her on the shoulder and walked off.

Krystal smiled broadly, as she watched Jason head to the control room.

"Hey, Jason." She called to him.

The Coyote turned around to face the Vixen, as she said

"It's going to be fantastic. I guarantee it."

Krystal smiled and headed down the hallway, leaving a more confident Jason behind her.

"She guarantees it, eh?" Jason thought, as he made his way to the control deck. "Well, I better make good on that."

OOO

The Avian was busy with paperwork, as he was slumped in his chair with tired and dreary eyes.

"Man, Fox really needs to find more people to do this shit." Falco snorted as he wrote down his name on the document.

As Falco finished the last document, he noticed another piece of paper lying on top of his dresser. His eyes widened in realization.

"Jason's song!" he thought. "Crap, I almost forgot."

Falco yawned in exhaustion, as he snatched the paper from his dresser and plopped down his bed. He yawned once more, as he laid eyes on what Jason had wrote. He grumbled the lyrics tiredly, while matching them with the melody. He grinned, as he was interested with the sound that came from it. It was a very unique melody that instantly hooked him into the lyrics. Once Falco continued on with reading the lyrics, his eyes widened in amazement. They were so deep and true. Falco had no idea that Jason had such a wonderful vocabulary.

"Good God!" he exclaimed, as he sprung up from his bed. "I have to write a bass line for this!"

With that, the Avian ran into his closet as fast as he could to grab his bass, and add another touch to Jason's masterpiece.

Krystal's guarantee was beginning to become a reality.

OOO

"So many memories."

The old hare was walking through the Great Fox, reminiscing of the times when he was young and full of energy. Peppy was returning to his room after a hard day's work, so it was a good time to be alone with his thoughts. The times of when the Star Fox team roamed galaxies and defeated evil were probably the happiest days of Peppy's life. But, as of now, those times seemed to come back to life, now that Jason had joined the team. To Peppy, he was the hardest working member on the team, besides Fox. His flying skills were unbelievable and Peppy knew that he should be rewarded for his contributions.

"He makes this team go." Peppy thought of the young Coyote. " He deserves something…special."

As Peppy entered his room, an idea had suddenly popped into his head.

"Something special." Peppy repeated, as he opened his closet to find something he had cherished ever since he bought it a long time ago.

Once he found it, a broad smile spread across his old face.

"Oh, he's gonna love this."

Author's Note:

Just guess what it is…LOL. Well, there's another one. Rather short, but I guess that's how my chapters are. Sorry, Zeus.

Rock On!


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

It's amazing how quick things can go. But, for Jason, he would have never imagined how fast things were going for him.

"I was a bum." The Coyote thought, as he rested on the foot of his bed. "Now, I am somehow on top of the world."

It was extremely difficult for Jason to comprehend how sudden his change in life was. In fact, it completely puzzled him.

"It's so odd." Jason said quietly. "How could I have accomplished so much in so little time?"

A knock on the door snapped Jason from his pondering, as he made his way to the sound.

"Who would be at my door at this hour?" Jason thought in confusion, as he turned the knob to open the door.

As the door slowly opened, Jason was surprised to find Peppy. The old hare was never up this late. He was always the first one to go to sleep on the Great Fox. Something must have been going on.

"Hey, kiddo!" Peppy chimed with a big smile.

"Uh…hey, Peppy." Jason said in a very puzzled tone. "What's up?"

"Jason, this may seem like a weird question." The Rabbit warned. "But, listen carefully."

The Coyote nodded in understanding, yet, he was still very surprised by the way Peppy was acting. He had never seen him this upbeat and excited. But, Jason just decided to go with it.

"Jason," Peppy began. "I want you to just sit on your bed and close your eyes."

"What for?" Jason asked, perplexed.

"Just wait there." Peppy commanded. "I'll be right back."

With that said, the Hare quickly exited the room. Jason was speechless.

"What the hell is going on?" He mumbled, as he followed Peppy's instructions. He sat on his bed and closed his eyes, completely oblivious to what was happening. Only his thoughts could provide him with the possible answers.

"What is Peppy up to?" Jason thought. " Is this some kind of surprise?"

But, before Jason could continue thinking, he heard the sound of a door bursting open.

"Peppy." Jason began. "What is this all about?"

There was a long pause, as the Hare before the blinded Coyote could only smile and chuckle. He caressed the instrument in his hands carefully, as he made his way to Jason. The elegant paint that rested upon the object reflected in the light, which shined in the Coyote's eyes. Unable to bear with the burning sensation, Jason opened his eyes.

They immediately widened in absolute surprise.

In the Hare's hand, was a vintage Gibson SG Guitar. It had an exquisite coat of red and black paint. Equipped with a rich body of smooth mahogany and two beautiful silver pickups, Jason couldn't help but ogle the instrument with disbelief painted all over his face.

Then, sudden realization swept over the Coyote.

"It's for me!" he thought in astonishment.

"Peppy….I…uh…" Jason stuttered, still in shock.

"It gets better!" Peppy bellowed.

Jason watched the Hare go outside once more, leaving the guitar on his bed.

"Oh…my God." Jason gasped, as he let his hand run along the seemingly flawless body of the guitar. "Is this some kind of dream?"

"Nope!" Peppy startled the Coyote, as he entered with a clean looking Marshall Amplifier.

"Peppy, this is for me?" Jason asked, perplexed.

"You bet, kiddo!" Peppy exclaimed. "And it is yours to keep forever!"

Everything was happening so fast. Jason could only smile and chuckle a bit, as he could not release the shock that resided within him. It just seemed too good to be true.

"Peppy…you…"

Jason couldn't think of anything else to say. But, there was only one instinct that the Coyote could think of at that particular moment.

The Coyote approached the Hare with open arms, as they clamped around his upper torso and stayed there. Peppy, overcome with surprise, could only chuckle and let his arms perform the same action.

"Thank you." Jason managed to breathe out. "Thank you…so much, Pep."

"Hey, don't mention it, will ya?" Peppy laughed. "Now, you better take damn good care of those things. They were quite a price on Earth."

Jason and Peppy erupted in simultaneous laughter, as they both let go of each other.

As Peppy went for the door, he stopped and turned to Jason with a sly grin.

"Oh, and by the way, I think you may want to take a look at this."

The Hare reached into his pocket to pull out a crumpled piece of paper. Jason was wondering what it could be.

"Jason," Peppy laughed, as handed the paper to the Coyote "If I were you, I'd take the chance."

On that note, Peppy left the room, leaving Jason completely dumbfounded.

"Take what chance?" Jason asked himself.

Then, the Coyote noticed that this was the single document that would decide his fate as a musician. It was another invitation to an open mic night at Louie's Bar & Grill, this time, on September 3rd. That was only a mere three days away.

"Is that really enough time?" Jason asked himself.

But, then, the thought of Miyu crept into his mind once more. The thought of her cheering for him and being entertained by his musical skills was one moment in his life that he just couldn't pass on.

"I have to do this" Jason thought confidently. " For Miyu."

Then Jason realized something. There was no way that the song he wrote for her would be good enough with just his voice and a guitar.

"If I'm going to pull this off." Jason muttered. "Then I'm going to need a lot more help."

OOO

"Well, you've really outdone yourself this time, Falco." The Avian thought proudly of himself, as he looked over his written bass line. " I bet Jason will love this."

Falco smirked, as he prepared himself for bed. He set his bass down by his dresser and put on some loose fitting clothes for a comfortable sleep. He slid under the covers, and could only stare at the ceiling. Suddenly, memories of his band playing days began to come back to him.

"That was a happy time in my life." Falco muttered to himself. "I sometimes wish I could go back."

But, Falco just decided to shrug it off and get some rest. He had a lot of work to do the next day.

Then, realization had somehow crept into the Avian's head at that particular moment.

" It's not impossible to go back now."

OOO

The Coyote had rested his new possessions in the corner, as he just stared at them with a hint of fascination in his blue eyes. Now, he could expand his sound to more than just casual acoustic songs. In other words, his music could become heavier and much more developed.

"Why just stare at it?" Jason muttered proudly. "After all, a guitar is meant to be played, not ogled."

With that, Jason approached the guitar and picked it up carefully. He found the cabled stored neatly behind the amp and plugged it into the instrument, as well as the amplifier itself. Lastly, Jason plugged it in to the electrical socket by his desk.

With one flick of the wrist, the beast had come to life.

The amp hummed with sound, as Jason quickly fiddled with the shiny, metallic knobs to control the feedback that exploded from the amp's speaker. The sounds completely blew the Coyote away, as he smiled to himself happily.

"Oh, Peppy, you are such a giver!" Jason thought playfully.

Jason decided to try out some songs he liked growing up as a child. He thought back to all the heavier songs he tried on his old acoustic guitar. Then, a certain song popped into his head, which left quite an impression on him as a little boy. His Dad would usually play it for him acoustically before he went to bed. It was his father's favorite song.

"Ah, what the hell." Jason said. " I can play this song."

Jason set his amp's controls to the correct setting, as he tuned his low E string down a full step.

"Okay, let's play some Everlong."

Jason began to strum quickly, with a look of concentration fixed on his face. He switched the knobs on his guitar to get more distortion out of the amp.

With this Gibson SG in his hands, Jason felt like he could play anything.

OOO

Fox and Falco were in the control room of the Great Fox. The Vulpine was reading a magazine on piloting tricks, while the Avian in the chair across him was looking over his bass work for Jason's song.

Fox decided to break the silence between them.

"So," he began. "How do you think Jason's doing?"

Falco raised his head from his work and replied

"I bet he's doing just fine, man."

Fox nodded, as he sat back in his chair. The Vulpine had wanted to suggest something all day to Falco, but he didn't know if the bird was up for it. Fox had to think long and hard about his suggestion. That suggestion was to come back on stage one last time, and rock the night away.

"Well, you never know if you don't ask, I guess." Fox thought.

"Hey, Falco." Fox started.

The Avian turned his attention, once again, to Fox.

"Yeah, Fox?"

The Vulpine decided to just spit it out.

"Well, I heard that there's going to be a new open mic night at Louie's in three days. Peppy showed me a flyer, and…well…"

"Well what, dude?" Falco chuckled heartily.

"You want to reform the band?"

The question hit Falco like an atomic bomb. He had no idea that Fox was thinking of the same principle of what he was thinking.

"Well, Fox, it's been a while."

"But, I really want to relive that time in our life again. Just one more time, Falco."

All Falco could do was laugh hysterically. Fox eventually laughed along, as they both realized that they were thinking of doing the same thing.

"Well, it would be a lot of fun…and you could really impress Krys…"

"Shut up, Falco!" Fox burst out as Falco erupted in laughter once again.

"I'm for it!" Falco calmed himself. "Let's do it!"

"It's not particularly that easy, Falco." Fox warned. " We still need some help."

Then, out of nowhere, beautiful music made it's way to the men's ears, as realization flooded both of their eyes.

"Jason!" They both shouted simultaneously, as they quickly rushed to where that beautiful music was coming from.

Author's Note: Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! It's been quite a while. I have to get ready for school soon, and my story is almost done. So, I have a lot of time on my hands, so don't expect another chapter too soon.

Anyways,

Rock On!


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"I can't believe you got him to do it, Fox."

The couple was snuggling on the couch in the living room, as the Vulpine told the Vixen the news of Jason's decision. The lights were slightly dimmed in the room, as a flickering T.V crackled with news from Corneria. Fox and Krystal didn't focus on the box in front of them at all. They only listened to each other, with twitching, attentive ears.

"Well, he was determined to do so." Fox replied lovingly, as he let his forehead gently rest against the Vixen's temple. Krystal purred in response, as she felt the sensation of her lover's fur meeting her own and cherished every moment.

"When's his performance coming up?" Krystal asked curiously.

The Vixen was surprised when he heard the soft chuckle burst from Fox.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Krystal, it's not just his concert," Fox started. He motioned his hand under the bed, and pulled out a brown, leather, photo album. Krystal's curiosity was piqued, as she watched Fox open it up. He quickly turned the pages, as Krystal tried to comprehend what Fox was doing.

"Ah, here it is." Fox muttered.

The Vixen's eyes widened at a single photograph that was rather small and tattered. The picture featured a whole band on a small stage, with amplifiers crowding them.

Suddenly, Krystal figured out what Fox was getting at. It wasn't a solo act; Jason was going to experience a full band concert with Fox and Falco. A broad smile spread across her gorgeous face, as she looked up and asked him.

"Fox, do you really want to do this?"

"Of course." Fox replied proudly. "The kid deserves it."

Krystal nodded in admiration of the man she loved, as her eyes became fixed on the photograph in the album.

There was a guitarist with long, curly hair that covered most of his face, while a bassist who was all too familiar to Krystal was jamming next to him.

"I…is that Falco?" Krystal asked Fox in disbelief.

The Vulpine managed a soft chuckle, as he replied.

"Yep, that's him alright. He was a pretty good bassist too."

Krystal continued to stare at the picture and all of the details included in it. She came across another familiar face located behind the guitarist and Falco. It was a small, green skinned toad with a look of pure anger and destructiveness on his face.

"SLIPPY?" Krystal gasped in shock.

Fox burst into hysterics as he rolled around on the bed.

"Yeah, we had him for a while. But, he decided to quit 'cause he had too many mechanic classes."

Krystal chuckled heartily, as her eyes came across a Vulpine she knew all too well. His hair draped just a bit over his shoulders, as he stood up proudly. He was sporting a black, leather jacket with a microphone groped in his two bug paws. He was looking back at his band mates, with a broad smile on his face. The man was Fox McCloud, as a young, rambunctious teenager.

Krystal blushed, as she snuggled up next to Fox and playfully asked.

"My, who's that handsome man?"

Fox smiled warmly, as he looked at the picture with the love of his life.

"Well, that's me." Fox said plainly, as he shook his head. He couldn't believe how rowdy and crude he looked in the photo. He knew that he wasn't much of a rebel growing up, but he simply put on that look to give his band an image. Hopefully, Krystal would understand. He knew how uncomfortable she looked back in the Punk club when they recruited Jason.

" I know, Krystal, I look dumb. But, it was only…"

"Hey." Krystal shushed the Vulpine, as she looked deep into his green eyes.

"Never talk about yourself that way, Fox."

Fox raised an eyebrow in confusion, as he felt the Vixen's arms wrap around his neck.

"You're…okay with it?"

"Fox, I'm more than okay with it." Krystal stated proudly. "In fact, I think you look rather…well…"

"What?" Fox asked.

A shade of red appeared on the Vixens face, as she leaned in close to Fox. Her eyes met his and she gave him a sweet, passionate kiss.

"Sexy."

In a matter of no time, Fox was just as red as Krystal. He couldn't believe how okay she was with the whole situation of a reunion concert.

"Wow…uh…um…. I'm flattered, Krystal." Fox stammered, while the angel on top of him giggled quietly.

"Don't mention it."

Fox put the photo album back under the bed and turned off the light in the room. Krystal was still on top of him, with her face buried in his chest. Fox decided that it was just fine to have her sleeping that way, so he closed his eyes, tried to let loose and fall asleep.

"Hey, Fox."

The Vulpine opened his eyes after he heard his mate's voice whisper into his ear.

"Yeah, Krystal?"

Krystal's eyes met his, as she asked politely

"I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping. Would you mind if you could sing to me?"

Fox blushed feverously, as he couldn't believe what came out of the Vixen's mouth.

"I… are you sure. 'Cause I haven't really done this in a while."

"Fox," Krystal began. " I bet you sing like an angel."

The Vulpine blushed, as he cradled the Vixen he loved so dearly into his arms, and let his fingers run along her cheek. She purred in comfort, as Fox slightly swayed her back and forth. She looked so peaceful in his arms.

" Ok, well, here it goes." Fox thought briefly.

Krystal let her head gently rest against Fox's chest, as she perked her ears up to listen to his singing voice.

Fox rocked her from side to side like a little child, as he began to sing in a quiet, soothing voice that immediately caused Krystal to fall into a state of bliss.

**That Boy,**

**Took my love away**

**But he'll regret it,**

**Someday **

**This Boy**

**Wants you back again**

**That Boy**

**Isn't good for you**

**Though he may want you too**

**This Boy**

**Wants you back again**

**Oh, and this boy**

**Would be happy**

**Just to love you**

**But oh my **

**That Boy**

**Won't be happy**

**Till he's seen you cry**

**This Boy**

**Wouldn't mind the pain**

**Would always feel the same**

**If this boy gets you back again**

**This boy, this boy**

Fox finally ended his song by fading out with the last lyric, as he watched the Vixen below him look up at him in awe.

Fox blushed timidly, as he scratched the back of his head.

"So…uh…how'd I do?"

The answer came quickly in a sudden action. Krystal quickly squirmed out of the Vulpine's arms, only to pin him down forcefully and kiss him like there was no tomorrow. The Vixen was pushed even deeper into the mad love she felt for Fox when she heard his singing voice. It was perfect, unique, and unbelievably moving.

Krystal reluctantly pulled away from Fox, with a giant mark of red flushing on both of her cheeks.

"Does that answer your question?" She purred, as she let her head rest against his chest.

"Y…yeah…uh… thanks, Krystal." Fox stumbled on his words, as a bead of sweat trickled down from his head and ended up as a stain on the mattress.

"You're voice is beautiful, Fox." Krystal murmured dreamily. " I can't wait to hear you at the open mic night."

Fox smiled warmly, as he hugged Krystal tightly against him, and let the spell of sleep take over him.

"Goodnight, Krystal. I love you."

OOO

The Lynx was looking out of the window of her Arwing, as the comet she was watching roamed through the eerie blackness of space. But, no shooting star could take her mind off the Coyote back on the Great Fox. His charming smile, unbelievable talent, and reassuring personality made her go insane inside of her head.

" I love him. There's no doubt. I'll never love another man as much as him."

Seeing that her reconnaissance mission was complete, Miyu turned back and began her journey back home.

"I can't wait to see him again." She muttered under her breath.

Author's Note: I'm almost done! Just a few more chapters and I can finally end this story! Hope it wasn't too bad.

Rock On!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The sounds of a clean, rich, and authentic guitar filled the hallways of the Great Fox, as the sun let its rays pour through the recently cleaned windows. There was a certain sense of gratitude that the other members onboard felt in the presence of Jason Evans. Not only was the Coyote such a skilled fighter and pilot, but his musical ability as uncanny. Whenever Fox, Krystal, Falco, Peppy, Slippy, Miyu, or even R.O.B came across the music, they couldn't help but feel entranced in the swing, the melody, or the sheer power that came from his playing. Jason was on his way; he just had to make the right choice.

Stay or go?

OOO

Miyu was lying down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling, as her ears twitched in ecstasy of the sound that was resonating from the room of Jason.

"He should be famous. Extremely famous." Miyu thought of the Coyote, as she continued on listening to a Jazz improvisation that he was playing. It moved so smoothly, like butter on bread.

" I never thought that my life could become so perfect, just by meeting the man."

Miyu could hear the music being played any day of the week. Occasionally, when no one was around, she would lean against the wall next to Jason's door, just to get closer to that enchanting sound. She would be happy with anything he played. It could be rock, blues, jazz, country, or anything else that could satisfy her musical tastes.

"But, does he love me back?"

The Lynx felt her cheeks burn up in embarrassment, as she recalled the night when she got "too close".

"I bet he thinks I'm way too out there." Miyu scolded herself. " Damn it!"

Miyu noticed that it was time for her to get some breakfast. She rose from her bed, stretched, and gave a big, long, yawn.

" Boy, I'm hungry." She groaned. "I wonder if anybody's cooking anything at all."

Miyu decided to find out herself. The Lynx walked slowly down the hallway, only to come to a complete stop at Jason's door. She heard the music flow between the cracks of the door, and breathed in deeply to let in.

"I'm going mad…and I don't care at all." Miyu said softly as she let her head fall against the wall.

"Miyu?"

The Lynx, startled, turned around to find Krystal in her morning attire. She was wearing a dark blue robe, and her hair had just been combed so that it fell just to the starting point of her neck.

"Oh…uh, hey Krystal." Miyu shyly greeted the vixen, as she turned around so that her back faced the wall.

Krystal was extremely concerned about Miyu, not that the Lynx was in any danger at all. Krystal just kept noticing that Miyu had been acting a bit strange lately.

"Hi Miyu." Krystal said. "How are things?"

Miyu blushed, as the redness around her face was perfectly noticeable to the Vixen standing before her.

"Oh, they're just…fine." Miyu said softly, as she awkwardly let her hands go behind her back.

The Vixen chuckled in doubt, as she set herself next to the Lynx along the wall.

"Man, Jason sounds pretty good in there." Krystal stated truthfully, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, more like amazing."

Miyu's face immediately flushed with regret as her facial fur turned into a deep shade of red.

"Oops." She thought.

"What did you say, Miyu?" Krystal asked teasingly. She knew that Miyu was hiding something. She just had to get her to spill the beans and confess.

"Miyu?" Krystal asked once more.

The Lynx was now caught in a situation in which she couldn't break free from.

"I said, he sounds…amazing." Miyu stated again, reluctantly.

Krystal let a wide grin spread across her face, as she was starting to tell that Miyu had some sort of interest in the Coyote. But, this wasn't her first sign. Krystal could also see some examples of Miyu's interest in Jason just by the way they interacted with each other. She was so sure of this because she experienced these feelings as well. When she joined the team, the Vixen became so mesmerized by the charismatic, strong willed Vulpine that lead the team. Fox seemed to be the only priority that Krystal kept in mind fully. She was great at her job, she had amazing fighting skills, but the thing that she was best at was loving and caring for Fox, the man who saved her from her crystallized prison. Somehow, she just knew that Miyu cared most for Jason the same way she cared for Fox.

"Miyu, you've been acting rather strange lately." Krystal told the Lynx, concernedly. "Does this by any chance have to do with Jason?"

Miyu looked up at the Vixen in complete surprise. She never knew that her crush on the Coyote was so noticeable.

"Should I tell her the truth? What will she think of me if I do?"

"Miyu, please answer the question." Krystal pleaded gently. "If it's personal, I won't tell anyone."

The Lynx blushed harder than she had ever done so before, as she was still tied between telling the truth and lying.

"No, I can't hide this from anyone anymore." The Lynx concluded mentally.

"Krystal," She began. " I may have something to tell you… that really can't get out to the others."

"Okay, I'm listening." Krystal answered. " Go on, please."

Miyu looked down, as a look of pure embarrassment stretched it's way across her soft, delicate face. This was it. She knew she had to tell someone sooner or later about her secret love for Jason, the Coyote with a heart of gold.

"I…well…uh…"

"Yes?" Krystal rotated her hand in a fast motion to help the Lynx get the answer out of her mouth.

"I am in love with Jason Evans."

Darkness was all she could see, for Miyu had closed her eyes in an instant, expecting immediate ridicule for having feelings for a co- worker on Star Fox. But, she didn't expect what happened next.

"I… kind of already knew, Miyu."

The Lynx's eyes widened incredibly, as she couldn't believe how unbelievably obvious her situation was to Krystal.

"What? How did you even know?"

The Vixen chuckled in a friendly manner and said affably

"Miyu, come take a little walk with me. I'll explain everything."

Krystal motioned for the Lynx to follow her, and Miyu did just that.

The conversation stretched towards the drama that Krystal had went through when Fox kicked her off the team. Miyu was completely dumbfounded that the Vulpine would do such a thing to her, a competent, well rounded, skilled, pilot.

" Why in the world would Fox do that?" Miyu asked, perplexed.

The Vixen looked down at the floor, recalling those depressing days that she had to experience away from the team and Fox.

" I asked myself that same question, many times." Krystal replied. " I thought that he did it out of hate. But, I…never gave him a chance to speak."

Miyu looked at Krystal sympathetically, as she asked in curiosity.

"Well, what was he trying to say?"

The Vixen continued to look down in shame, as she said shakily

"He just wanted me to be safe."

Miyu watched in shock, as tears began to form in the Vixen's eyes, as she tried to collect her voice.

"He did it because he loved me."

The Lynx, with a painful feeling in her gut, comforted Krystal with a nice, warm hug. The Vixen wasn't sobbing, but her sadness was evident due to the streams of tears falling from her blue eyes.

"But, I'm fine, now that I'm back on the team." Krystal reassured herself, as she wiped the tears from her eyes and kept her head high. " And, I have another little secret to tell you as well, Miyu."

Miyu's orange and black ears perked up in curiosity.

"What is it?"

Krystal put on a smile, as she whispered into the Lynx's ear.

"Fox and I are now together…in privacy."

Miyu's eyes widened in surprise, as the Vixen pulled back and giggled softly.

"So, what I'm trying to say, Miyu, is that if you really love Jason, you should definitely tell him so. Don't hesitate. Don't make the same mistake I did with Fox. I almost never saw him again."

Miyu smiled with gratitude, as she kindly shook Krystal's hand and said

"Thanks, Krystal."

Krystal smiled back and replied "Come on. Let's go get something to eat."

Miyu agreed with a nod, as the two teammates walked casually down the hallway, talking and becoming the best of friends.

OOO

The Coyote couldn't even imagine what situation he was going to be in. In just a few days, he was going to be in front of a whole bar, with complete strangers there to criticize him. If he was adequate, he would be awarded with humble cheers. If he was poor, bottles would be thrown, jeers would be projected, and ridicule would scar him. But, to Jason, that had to be the least of what he was thinking about. No…she was just as important.

Jason was staring blankly at the ceiling of his room, with tired and dreary eyes.

" I wonder if she even thinks about me at all."

The Coyote continued to ponder about the Lynx that lived with him on the massive star cruiser, wondering if he even had the courage to tell her how he felt.

"I know that she may like me, even a little bit, but can't get too close to her. If I do, I'll just end up losing her. Like my… father."

Jason bit back a bit of sadness, but finally composed himself and continued thinking.

" Even if I asked her… I bet she would deny it, since I denied her."

Jason was caught in quite a predicament. He knew that he loved the Lynx, with all of his heart. But, he just couldn't be hurt again. His life had been tainted by misery, and if Miyu turned him down, that would just ultimately be destroyed inside.

"But… if I don't say anything at all… I'll be empty for the rest of my life."

Jason just couldn't get her out of his mind. It was driving him insane.

"What do I do? What do I do? What the fuck do I do?" He moaned in angst, as he rolled onto his stomach and let his face slam against the soft mattress of his bed.

The decision seemed to be unsolvable. But, suddenly, a thought so cliché and constantly thought of before, clawed its way into his confused and stressed out brain.

"Now I know what to do." Jason realized. "I'm not just going to question myself for the rest of my life."

Jason got up, stretched his legs, and walked slowly to the window. The vacuum of space danced outside of the Great Fox, as the Coyote muttered under his breath.

"I'm going to tell her. If I am rejected, I'll still have the pride knowing that I tried."

Jason picked up his old, worn out acoustic guitar, and started playing the song he wrote. The chords seemed to just flow perfectly from the sound hole, as the Coyote smiled to himself and said

" I love you, Miyu. One of these days, I'll let you know."

Author's Note:

I guess this is a good chapter. Not great, but good enough. Also, Zeus, about that length problem I have, I suggest you get used to it. I'm not a great writer, but I intend to get better as I get older and wiser. I know you're trying to be constructive, but sorry, that's just how I write. So, no hard feelings, I hope.

As to other reviewers, sorry about that. Just got a bit annoyed. Still in a good mood though. Almost done, baby!

Rock On, and don't forget that I appreciate your reviews!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Jason woke up early in the morning, as the agitating noise that blared from his alarm clock caused him to bang it three times in frustration. Finally, the annoying sound halted, and the Coyote, with ruffled fur and heavy eyes, headed straight for the beautiful, elegant guitar that rested against the cube shaped amp.

It would only be one day. There was no trouble around Lylat, General Pepper had grounded Star Wolf for bad behavior, yet again, and it was one of the most tranquil and serene days that the territory had ever experienced. Just one day was all the band needed to prepare for the best…or worst of moments.

Jason grabbed the Gibson SG with steady hands, as he ran his finger along the low E string. He loved the sound it produced, as he played with the pitch that resonated from the guitar. It would rise, and then slowly drop down. The Coyote laughed quietly, trying to not wake up the others. He was ecstatic about playing along his teammates. But, there was one thing that Jason was a little nervous about. He had already heard Falco play bass, which he was extremely good at. But, what of Fox or Slippy? He had never heard Fox sing, or even heard him hum a clumsy little tune. As for Slippy, he had no idea that the short, stubby Frog could even handle such an instrument as the drums. Yet, no matter what, Jason was happy that he could at least show his talent to some people, and maybe even get some cheers.

" And maybe…just maybe… I'll confess to Miyu."

OOO

Falco entered the TV room of the Great Fox, with his case and amplifier in his hands. The Avian looked around and smiled approvingly.

"Good set up, Fox."

The orange furred Vulpine entered through the doorway and made his way to a nearby microphone stand. He scratched the back of his head and said.

"Yeah, well, I thought this would be a good room to use, since the acoustics in here are pretty good."

A standard drum kit was standing its ground near the back of the room, as Slippy timidly made his way near it.

"Man, can't help but feel some nostalgia looking at this thing." The Frog said. " Pretty cool, eh?"

Fox and Falco nodded in agreement, as a brown furred Coyote with curly, long hair entered the room with his SG and his amp. His song, written on a short piece of paper, was locked between his teeth. He gently placed his work of art on a nearby table, hoping not to tear the paper and in some way violate it.

"Hey! There's our guitarist!" Falco bellowed, as he headed towards Jason.

The Coyote smiled at the Avian, as he gave Falco a quick acknowledgement with his knuckles and headed over to a power outlet right beside Slippy's drum kit. He placed the amp down, and plugged the long, black extension cord into the outlet. Jason set his guitar down steadily, praying not to damage it in any way.

Fox chucked quietly, as he watched the Coyote prepare himself for the rehearsal.

" Feeling anxious, Jason?" Fox teased affably.

Jason looked up at Fox, and snickered at the Vulpine.

"Are you?" He replied cleverly.

The whole group laughed in unison, as Jason plugged his SG into his amp and stood up beside Slippy.

Falco, caressing his beloved Thunderbird bass, asked Jason

"So, what should we play?"

Jason's fur stood straight on his back, as he had finally realized that in order to play the gig, you had to have at least five songs to perform. Right now, the group only had his song to play.

" Crap." The Coyote huffed under his breath.

"What is it, Jason?" Slippy asked, concerned.

" All we have right now is just one song." Jason sighed. " We need four more if we want to play at that gig."

Falco's excited expression soon turned to a frustrated on, as he cursed quietly and slumped into a nearby chair. Slippy put a hand on his forehead, discouraged and in doubt.

All that work, all those sleepless nights, and all of that hope died at that moment. Jason's throat began to swell, holding back his depressing emotions, as he felt his optimism slowly fade away. Then, one cocky voice in the room broke the sad silence.

"So what?"

Everyone turned their heads to Fox, who had an uncaring, expressionless look on the situation. He was leaning against the wall by the microphone stand, with his hands in his pockets."

" Fox, we need four-" Falco began.

"I heard Jason, Falco!" Fox interrupted. "But, that doesn't mean we should just give up!

Slippy balled his hand into a fist and rested it under his chin.

"Okay, so… what do we do?" The Frog asked.

Fox jumped off the wall, and grabbed hold of the microphone stand.

"What do you mean 'what do we do?' " Fox replied. " We're going to learn four more songs to play. Hell, why not more than four songs? Guys, lets get ourselves out of this little funk, and rock that bar tomorrow!"

With his confidence restored, Jason let a broad smile come across his face, as Falco and Slippy were refueled by Fox's brash and wonderfully positive statement.

" Alright, Fox." Jason said proudly. " Let's listen to some records!"

OOO

Peppy was sleeping soundly under the covers of his bed, as his snoring could have woken up every living thing in the entire universe. His right arm hung lazily over the side of the mattress, and numerous piles of failed manuals and maps were crumpled beside him in a rather small trash bin. The Hare had been working all night, tirelessly planning future reconnaissance missions for Star Fox. The heavy bags located under his eyes were just a mere indication of how mentally and physically exhausted Peppy was. The loud, and obnoxious banging coming from the Hare's door was certainly no help.

"Peppy? You in there?" Fox called from the other side.

The rabbit groaned in despair, as he wiggled himself slowly from the comforting sheets of his bed and let his feet hit the carpeted floor below.

"Peppy?"

"HOLD YOUR DAMN HORSES, BOY!" Peppy shouted in utter annoyance.

Stifled laughs were heard from the other side of the door, as Peppy rolled his eyes and turned the knob.

"You guys got a lot of nerve… waking up an old man like that!" Peppy scoffed at the male cast of Star Fox.

"Well, your alarm clock should have woken you up about an hour ago." Falco said. " So, you should be pretty thankful, old timer."

Peppy growled at the Avian, and before the Hare could strangle Falco, Jason prevented that action by saying

"Peppy, we need a favor from you."

Peppy went back into his room and fetched himself a pair of glasses. He placed them on and looked back at the group.

"So, what do you want me to do, Jason?" He asked.

Jason stepped forward slightly, with both of his feet just inside the area of the room.

"Could we…I don't know…borrow some of your records and listen to them to pick out songs? Please Peppy, it's for the show tomorrow."

Peppy's hostile and cranky expression soon faded into a look of understanding, as a small smile crept along his face. He could see a certain sense of determination in the eyes of the Coyote. It was a sense of determination that the Hare hadn't seen since the days of Fox's youth, when he was hell bent on bringing Andross to justice for killing his father.

"Ah, hell." He sighed. "Why not?"

Jason nodded, and motioned for the others to come in. The band immediately began to pick out records, with bands ranging from the genres of classic rock, blues, country, metal, and alternative.

"Who wants to listen to some Led Zeppelin?" Slippy called out enthusiastically, as he pulled out a black and white record. The record depicted an image of a zeppelin in flames, falling do its demise.

"I'm in!" Jason agreed with the Frog. "Anybody else want to check this one out?"

"Sure!" Fox and Falco said in unison, as they headed over to where Jason and Slippy were sitting. They placed the record on the record player and let the needled fall on to its black surface. The first track of the album, "Good Times, Bad Times", began.

Two unbelievably breath-taking power chords resonated from the machine, as the entire band was completely blown away. Jason was incredibly impressed by the sense of presence of the sound, as the wonderful noise he was listening to resonated from the legendary guitarist, Jimmy Page.

"Whoa! Nice!" The Coyote gasped, as the song continued.

After the intro, Fox was suddenly caught in the wailing voice of the band's lead singer, Robert Plant. The man's vocal range was positively ridiculous, and the Vulpine couldn't help but somehow want to emulate Plant's skills to his own.

"I'm digging this guy's voice." Fox thought, still mesmerized.

Slippy was completely entangled in the pleasurable beat that came from the drums of John Bonham. The beats he created flowed perfectly with the rhythm and attitude of the song, as Slippy could only nod his head in appreciation for the fact that he was able to listen to Bonham's wonderful drumming.

Falco closed his eyes, finding peace with the groovy, and quiet bass coming from the hands of John Paul Jones. He swooned his head back and forth, mimicking the rhythm that came from the bass.

"Yep, that band was pretty damn popular when I visited Earth in 1973." Peppy announced as he exited his bathroom. " You should definitely look at some more stuff they made."

The Hare ran his finger down his ridiculously large album collection. He quietly called off band names, searching until he could find the right group.

" Hm… Beatles, Buddy Holly, Cars, Chuck Berry, Foo Fighters." He hummed, as the group behind him watched in awe of his incredible collection of albums.

"Ah!" Peppy bellowed, as he pulled out a single record. "Led Zeppelin 2."

Jason and his band mates nodded in interest, as Peppy carefully took out the first record and placed it back in its cover, hoping not to damage it with a single scratch. He then pulled out the Led Zeppelin 2 record and placed it on the record player. The needle, controlled by Peppy, carefully touched down on the black record, and the sweet, memorable songs of the golden age of music.

OOO

They practiced until the songs became second nature to them. Jason and Falco's fingers were tainted and soiled by the pain of hard, blue-collar work with a stringed instrument. Fox screamed himself hoarse, hitting each note he sang with an aggression that resembled his rowdy and rebellious teenage ego. Slippy surprised Jason with his barbarian –like drumming technique, which followed the rhythm of the song swiftly and beautifully.

It was tomorrow. The day that would determine the Coyote's destiny and have him confess to Miyu was only a day away.

Jason could only tilt his head back and sigh nervously. Everything seemed to slow down, as his eyes rested on the ceiling above him.

"Well, I guess its show time tomorrow." Jason sighed.

Suddenly, a quiet knock on the door interrupted his trance, as Jason headed for the door.

"Who's there?" Jason asked, as he kept his ear close to the door.

" Jason…It's Miyu."'

The Coyote immediately felt a mixture of nervousness and relaxation hearing her voice. It was like music to his ears, and it seemed that whenever she talked, he would lose himself in her voice.

"Uh…come in." Jason replied kindly.

The door opened slowly, as the Lynx carefully entered the Coyote's room. She closed the door behind them and looked down sheepishly, with a deep blush on her face.

"Hi." She sighed.

"Hello." Jason replied. " Is everything alright, Miyu?"

The Lynx put a hand on the back of her neck and scratched it.

" Everything' s fine." She said. "I just wanted to say good luck on the show tomorrow. I know that you guys really worked hard tonight."

Jason chuckled, as he sat on his bed.

"Yeah, my fingers are killing me."

Miyu giggled cutely, which made Jason smile warmly. She was so amazing to him. Everything about her was perfect. He just hoped that he could let her know how he really felt.

"Well, it's getting late." Miyu informed. "I better get going."

The Lynx reluctantly turned for the door, but stopped herself.

"Miyu?" Jason asked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

The Lynx turned around to meet Jason, and stepped closer to him. Jason was caught completely off guard when Miyu wrapped her arm around his neck and hugged him tight.

Jason had never felt so incredible.

"For luck." She whispered to him, as she quickly exited the room.

Stunned, the Coyote fell onto his bed with a soft thud, looking up into the heavens before drifting to sleep.

"Wow." He muttered.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. With High School and Hockey Practice in the way, it's been pretty tough to keep up with Fan Fiction. As always, have a great day. Final chapter coming up next. Booyah!

Rock On!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The sun glared through the windows of the Great Fox, as Fox stirred in his sleep to the sound of his mate brushing her teeth. The Vulpine was exhausted beyond belief from the effort his band put in to learn all those songs the previous night. The songs that they played ranged from about two minute rock songs to fifteen-minute jam sessions that showed the group's progressive side.

"Man, is it early!" Fox thought, as he slowly slipped out of bed. "I have no idea how Krystal can get up at this hour."

The Vulpine stroked his throat tenderly, which was quite sore from screaming himself hoarse during the practice. It wasn't easy to imitate the vocalists that were on those records. Robert Plant, Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury, James LaBrie, and Matt Bellamy, were all a challenge for Fox. But, he was able to pull through and realize each voice, as well as adding dabs of his own vocal skills.

"You sounded wonderful yesterday, Fox." A sweet, lovely voice called from behind the bathroom door.

"Thanks, Krystal." Fox replied gratefully. Krystal had done so much for him over the past few months. After reuniting with him as his mate, she was willing to trust him again, as well as love him again.

"No, really," Krystal continued, as she walked out of the bathroom. "You have such a great voice."

Fox blushed in reply, as Krystal approached him and gave him a tight hug. Fox returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around the Vixen's waist.

The two foxes wished the hug could last a lifetime. But, Krystal reluctantly pulled away from the man she loved and sat next to him on the bed.

" So, 'wonderful' huh?" Fox asked the Vixen.

Krystal nodded affectionately, as she gently kissed Fox gently on the lips, confirming her statement.

"Well, we'll see what the crowd thinks." Fox sighed, as he let himself fall back on the bed.

"Man, I'm buffed."

Krystal giggled, as she fell down next to him, obviously wanting to be by his side in every way possible.

" I'm sure you guys will be terrific. You really worked hard last night, so it is important that you get some more rest."

With that said, Krystal got off the bed and began to head out the door for breakfast. As she was heading out, she turned and chimed to her love,

"Care to join me?"

Fox smiled warmly, as he walked down the hallway with Krystal to fill his empty stomach.

OOO

Slippy was exhausted.

After the grueling practice was over, the toad's arms never felt so much soreness. After brushing his teeth and tidying up his bed, the exhausted mechanic looked at himself in the mirror. The toad's face showed the hell to pay of playing drums for hours. There were bags under his eyes, as well as the presence of crust resting on his eyelashes.

"Christ! Playing material from Bonham, Peart, and Portnoy really wear you down!"

Slippy couldn't be more correct with his statement. In fact, he remembered how numb his hands were from drumming for hours on end. Some tracks that they played had easy, consistent beats. But, other songs were just ridiculously hard for him.

"Those Dream Theater and Rush tunes just killed me!" The toad exclaimed, as he ventured out of his door for a satisfying breakfast. It was just what he needed after a long, hard rehearsal with his band.

Once he rounded the first corner of the hallway, Slippy noticed a faint sound coming from Jason's room. It sounded like an unplugged guitar being plucked and strummed. Slippy listened closely, as he made his way to the door. After he finally reached the doorway, Slippy could confirm that Jason was once again playing his guitar.

"Isn't he even tired at all?" Slippy thought in confusion. " It's six in the morning, and he's playing as if he could play for an eternity!"

Curiously, the Toad knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Jason yawned.

Slippy chuckled lightly at the Coyote's tired state, as he replied,

"It's Slippy."

"Come on in." Jason said.

Slippy opened the door and entered the guitarist's room. When the Toad set his eyes on Jason, he noticed that he looked just as tired than himself. But, he knew that Jason couldn't care less about how exhausted he was. Slippy was well aware of the Coyote's extreme dedication to music, and how he would play, write, and record until the day he died.

"What's up, Slip?" Jason asked, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Well, I just wanted to see what you're up to at six in the AM!" Slippy laughed. "I mean, why are you playing? You look like hell!"

Jason laughed quietly, as he once again rubbed his eyes.

"Well, I was just going over some licks that I need to work on for tonight's show. I mean...some of those songs last night were killers!"

"Yeah." Slip sighed. "But they sure were fun!"

"You got that right!" Jason replied with more enthusiasm. " They were awesome!"

Slippy laughed with the Coyote, as they enjoyed the brief bonding experience that they were involved in. Jason never had anything against Slippy in the past. It was just that Slippy was always busy with fixing Arwings and computers on the Great Fox. In other words, Slippy never had much free time.

" Well, I'm going to go get some breakfast." Slippy announced. " Want to come with?"

Jason said yes, as he exited his room and made conversation with the Toad on the upcoming show.

OOO

Jason was grinning happily while chugging down a cup of orange juice. He couldn't be happier with how things were going for him. Ever since he set foot on the Great Fox and got to know all of these interesting, charismatic people, the Coyote was finally able to cope with the loss of his father and feel like he was apart of a family again.

"Hey, Jason!"

The Coyote's ears twitched, as he could make out that cocky howl from anywhere.

"What's up Falco?"

The Avian was wearing a black T-shirt with very dark imagery all over it. The image seemed to interpret hell and what it had in store for anyone who deserved a miserable eternity. A pentagram was located on the top left hand side of the shirt, with the word "Slayer" written in blood-red lettering. Falco's shirt was the famous_ Reign in Blood_ album, a brutal form of music that only a metal group like Slayer could execute perfectly.

"Nice fucking shirt man!" Jason complimented. "You're a Slayer fan?"

Falco smiled deviously.

"Been one since I was thirteen."

The Coyote nodded, as he remembered his first time listening to the group. It was unlike anything he had ever heard before. At first, Jason despised it. He thought of it as nothing more than nonsense metal with screeching guitars and obnoxious vocals. But, as he gave the band more listening time, he found out that what the band had was something incredible. It was a brutal form of thrash metal that not only captivated the Coyote, but also consoled his anger over the death of his father.

" Yeah, teenagers love that stuff." Jason said.

Falco could only retort with a disagreeing "feh"

"Back in my day, me and my friends would have parties and just trash the place to this music. Nowadays, all of this pop shit has kids turning mellow and into stupid posers."

"Amen." Jason agreed, as he wolfed down the bacon form his plate, and got up.

"Well, I guess we better get ready for tonight, eh?" Falco muttered, as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Not nervous, are you?" Jason teased.

"Hell no!" Falco growled. "Let's rock that joint!"

OOO

Corneria, a clean and prosperous planet, had survived many devastating blows over its incredible history. Yet, after all of the suffering, it still remained as one of the most beautiful planets in the Lylat System.

Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Jason were all huddled in an equipment van, which had been rented by Peppy. No one was speaking; they all just looked outside and admired Corneria's tall skyscrapers and bright lights.

"It's amazing how well put together this city is." Fox blurted out.

"Yeah, "Falco agreed. "It sure has survived some hell."

Jason didn't engage in the conversation, as he was huddled in the corner of the back of the van. His eyes were closed, and he was playing the band's song list in his head. He mimicked playing his guitar, as his fingers moved wildly round the imaginary fret board.

"Jason, what on God's green earth are you doing?"

The Coyote snapped himself from his meditation, as his eyes were met with three very confused band mates. With a red face, Jason tried to explain.

"I was…uh…"

"Sweet air guitar skills, man!" Falco joked, as the whole band broke out in a fit of laughter.

Suddenly, the van came to a halt, as Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Jason seized their laughter. Jason looked out the window, as he could plainly see a building with a big and beautiful sign that read

**Louie's Bar& Grill**

The time had come.

OOO

"Hey, Peppy, do you know when the others are getting here?" Jason asked, as he and his band unloaded the van and rested their gear on the sidewalk.

"Krystal has some reports to file, and Miyu has to sort some things out on the control deck. But don't worry, son, they'll be here in time."

"Okay." Jason said, as the thought of Miyu crossed his mind. Her eyes, her fur, and her scent seemed to just dance across his brain. Inside and out, Miyu was the definition of perfection.

"Soon, I will finally tell her how I really feel." The Coyote thought. "I just hope that this song can do all the talking for me."

Jason decided to just relax himself, as he and his band mates gathered their gear and carried it into Louie's Bar & Grill.

Louie's was a very clean, family friendly bar, where a lot of people could bring their friends to watch important sports games while enjoying a good meal. The restaurant had a very bright tone to it, with golden painted walls and neatly framed pictures of the restaurant's illustrious history as one of the top ten restaurants in Corneria.

As the band looked around, admiring the restaurant's atmosphere, they were suddenly greeted by a heavy set German shepherd. He had a bright, welcoming smile on his face, and an apron covered in grease and condiment stains. His nametag read in dark-printed lettering

"**Louie**"

"Ah!" He bellowed. "Fox McCloud and the Star Fox team in my restaurant! Oh, lord have mercy!"

Fox politely shook the man's hand, admiring the Dog's cheerful attitude.

"Hey, Louie. How's business?"

Instantly, the Dog's ears shot up in happiness.

"Oh, it couldn't be better!" Louie began. " People are coming in and out of here like mad! Oh! How's everything with the team? Hm?"

Fox scratched the back of his head as he truthfully said,

"Well, there hasn't been much havoc going on lately. So, although I'm happy that the Lylat system is at peace, business hasn't been as good as it used to be."

Louie nodded his head understandingly, as he patted the Vulpine on the back, and sighed,

"Yes. I know that without Andross destroying the planet, or Star Wolf causing panic, business can be tough for a man who specializes in saving lives. But, look on the bright side! At least you still have your pride, and that's more than just a bunch of green paper."

Fox chuckled, as he replied,

"Thanks, Louie. Have you met the others?"

The Vulpine pointed behind him to his team, as Louie smiled brightly.

"There's no need for an introduction! I know these guys from the TV!"

Everyone laughed, as Louie continued.

"Yep. That's Falco, Peppy, Slippy, and…?"

The Dog's eyebrow rose, as he had trouble remembering whom that longhaired Coyote with the guitar case and amplifier was.

"I'm sorry." Louie chuckled in embarrassment. " I know who you are, I just can't remember your name."

Slippy nudged the Coyote in the thigh, as the toad couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"No need to be sorry!" Jason exclaimed. "My name's Jason. Jason Evans."

The Dog's eyes changed from a confused expression to that of realization, as he chimed.

"Oh, yeah! You're the new guy! Now I remember!"

The broke out into hysterics, as Louie kindly showed them backstage so that they could prepare for the show. Once Star Fox had made their way behind the curtain, Jason once again went into the corner and mentally prepared himself, while Fox, Falco, and Slippy sat down and talked about how they were going to present the songs. Peppy waited outside the restaurant for Krystal and Miyu.

"I can do this." Jason thought to himself, with beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. "I can do this…"

Author's Note:

Let me first start by saying that I really am sorry for making you wait so long for this update. I hit huge writer's block and my laptop crashed, so I guess that's the only excuse I can give you. Hopefully, none of you are made with me about this. All I can promise you is that the next one or two chapters of this story will be final. After that, I will never write for fanfiction again. I just have so much going on right now. So, enjoy this chapter. If not, I tried as hard as I could.

Rock On!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The wind blew calmly outside the restaurant, as the leaves that previously hung from the trees broke off and littered the busy streets of Corneria. The sun gave a faint shine on the glorious landscape, with gray clouds restraining its blinding light. The season of fall was just beginning, and the old Hare that waited patiently outside could only watch in bliss, as he watched the season unravel.

"I hope Krystal and My can show up in time." Peppy thought to himself. " The show is going to start in about twenty minutes."

The Hare looked down at his watch, and bit his lower lip in worry, as the two women were nowhere to be found.

"Maybe, I should call them." Peppy thought. "Oh, wait! My phone is out of battery. It's charging on the Great Fox!"

The Rabbit cursed under his breath, but his head turned suddenly to the sounds of two pairs of feet walking towards him. There they were! Krystal and Miyu were able to get by the workload in time to finally make it. Krystal was wearing a green sweater with black sweatpants and her fur was neatly combed, showing off very feature of her gorgeous face. Miyu, on the other hand, was dressed with a green coat and a red shirt that had "Rush: Clockwork Angels" written on it. Her jeans were rolled up to just above her ankles, and, like Krystal, she combed her fur neatly and efficiently.

"Ladies!" Peppy bellowed with a smile. "I'm so glad that you were able to make it!"

Krystal and Miyu laughed in unison, as the Vixen replied,

"We wouldn't miss this for the world, right Miyu?"

The Lynx smiled brightly and replied with a happy nod. She couldn't believe that she was going to be able to see Jason live onstage with all of his skills, licks, riffs, and solos. She had been to concerts before, but there was no concert that she was more excited for than this one. The thought of Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Jason on that stage together made here even more ecstatic, as she remembered listening to them practicing the night before through the walls of the Great Fox. Needless to say, what she heard was remarkable.

"What are we waiting for?" Miyu chimed. " Let's get in there!"

On that note, Peppy, Krystal, and Miyu headed into Louie's Bar & Grill.

"I've never felt so eager before." Miyu thought. "I can't wait for this."

OOO

" Jesus!" Falco gasped as he looked out from behind the scarlet curtain. " I guess we got quite a crowd here!"

Falco couldn't have been more accurate with his statement, as Fox, Jason, and Slippy joined the Avian in peeking at the audience.

Jason's mouth hung agape, as he saw swarms of men, women, and children who all came out to see Star Fox and have a pleasant meal. The Coyote gripped his SG tightly, as the emotion of nervousness was painted across his face.

"Oh, man!" Jason thought. " That crowd is bigger than any other crowd I played for back at the Punk Scene."

The Coyote felt a single drop of sweat trickle down his forehead, as the sight of the crowd began to overwhelm him almost to the brink of madness. Suddenly, the songs that he had planted in his head were fading away from him. He just couldn't take his mind off of that packed crowd.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Jason panicked internally." I'm starting to draw a blank here!"

Suddenly, all of it stopped.

As soon as he spotted her, all of the tension that he felt building inside of him quickly vaporized into calm tranquility. The Lynx was seated with Peppy and Krystal, with a look of sweet anticipation in her eyes. Miyu never looked more beautiful in her attire, as Jason fell into a strange trance that completely took over his mind.

"God, she is so beautiful." The Coyote thought lovingly. " I guess all I have to do is just imagine that she is the only one in the audience tonight."

"Jason? Buddy?"

Jason's eyes blinked rapidly, as he snapped out of his dream like state. Fox was patting him on the shoulder, with an unsure look on his face.

"Oh! Uh…yeah, Fox?" Jason asked his captain.

Fox chuckled lightly, as he replied, "You feeling alright? You seem kind of…well… flustered."

Jason smiled lightly, as he released his tight grip on his SG and put it over his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Fox." The Coyote stated truthfully. " Just thinking."

"Bout what?" Falco chimed in teasingly, as Fox gave him a stern look.

"Just go set up your bass rig, bird brain." The Vulpine ordered. "We're on in ten minutes!"

Falco smiled dumbly, and trotted off to his equipment.

Fox shook his head and rolled his eyes at his best friends goofball attitude and turned his attention back to the Coyote.

"Like 'numb nuts' said," Fox snorted. " What's up, man?"

"I'm just thinking about the show, and how I'm going to get through this all." Jason replied. " Just making sure I know what to start off with."

Fox nudged Jason with his elbow and said, " Hey, don't sweat it, kid. When I used to perform, I would just treat it like a practice, and do my best."

"That's all, huh?" The Coyote laughed quietly. "Well, I guess I'll do that then."

Fox smiled warmly at the Coyote, as he felt like a father figure for Jason. Over the course of just a few months, the Vulpine couldn't help but feel a special bond between him and Jason. Ever since Fox's father died when he was young, the Vulpine was always cared for by Peppy and seemed to get most of his advice from the old Hare. Fox felt that it was his duty to help Jason, who went through the same struggles as he did growing up.

"Good luck, man." Fox said. "See you on the stage. "

Fox then walked to his microphone stand, as Louie burst through the door, letting the band know that it was almost time to perform.

"Curtain goes up in four minutes, guys! Best of luck to you!"

Jason breathed in deeply, and exhaled slowly, as the thought of Miyu swirled around in his head.

"Just her." Jason thought. " She is the only one there."

Suddenly, Jason was snapped from his state of mind, as Louie went onto the stage with a microphone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" His voiced boomed around the walls of his restaurant. "Thank you for coming along this evening to see tonight's very special guests. You know them as the heroes of the Lylat system! Tonight, they will be performing their musical act for you with Fox McCloud on vocals, Jason Evans on guitar, Falco Lombardi on bass, and Slippy Toad on drums. Ladies and Gentlemen, without further adieu, Star Fox!"

OOO

The curtain rose to the top of the ceiling, as Fox, Falco, Jason, and Slippy were entirely exposed to the eager crowd. Jason's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw the massive wave of people before him. The crowd cheered wildly, paying respect to the mercenaries who had given Corneria, as well as the entire Lylat system, ensured peace and tranquility.

Fox, with the same look of astonishment printed on his face, stepped up to the microphone and said,

"Hello."

The crowd roared in response, as they began to chant the Vulpine's name. A wide smile spread across Fox's face. For years, he had been an icon to Corneria and the Lylat system. Now, just for a fun rock and roll concert at a restaurant, he was being given the greatest round of applause he had ever heard in his entire life.

Fox looked at Jason and managed to mutter the first song in the playlist. Jason nodded back with a smile and prepared himself. The SG gave off a powerful shine to the crowd, as Fox spoke again into the microphone.

"This is a song from, uh… a group from a long time ago. Their name is the Who, and this is a real killer. It's called "My Generation."

The crowd was silent, as the band could clearly identify Krystal, Miyu, and Peppy in the back of the restaurant. They looked anxious, ready, and excited.

"Here goes nothing." Jason thought to himself, as he cranked up his amp and placed his right hand near the six strings of his guitar.

Falco cracked his neck and kicked out his left leg in a brief, stretching motion. He sat his two fingers on the thick, blistering strings of his bass and bit his tongue in nervousness.

Slippy was a hot mess! A pool of sweat was already forming on his shirt, and he didn't even hit a single piece of his drum kit!

Nevertheless, the stage was set, the crowd was ready, and there was a wonderful woman in the audience that a certain Coyote did not want to disappoint.

"One, two, three, four!"

OOO

The crowd was immediately blown back by a wave of sound, which included the sound of Jason's guitar, Falco's bass, and Slippy's drum set. The audience eventually got into the rhythm, as the Lynx that was sitting at the back of the restaurant could not take her eyes off of the Coyote that strummed his guitar elegantly with a fiery passion.

"Every note that comes off of that guitar is just taking my breath away." She thought. "God, I love him."

Fox swayed his head for a bit before grabbing the microphone and singing:

**People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<br>Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<strong>

**This is my generation  
>This is my generation, baby<strong>

**Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<br>I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<strong>

**This is my generation  
>This is my generation, baby<strong>

**Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<br>I'm not trying to cause a b-big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<strong>

****

**This is my generation  
>This is my generation, baby<strong>

**People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<br>Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)  
>Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)<strong>

**This is my generation  
>This is my generation, baby<strong>

Feedback and distortion blazed through Jason and Falco's amplifiers, as Slippy went into a frenzy with his drum kit. Fox could only look back at his band mates while smiling and laughing. He had never seen them act so animated before. As the song concluded with Jason scratching the strings of his SG against the microphone stand, the crowd could only look at them with their eyes wide and their mouths agape. What they were witnessing wasn't just a fun mic night at a restaurant.

They were witnessing one of the greatest performances in Cornerian history.

From their table, Krystal did her best to hide the excited smile that spread across her blue face. To see Fox up on stage singing his heart out, while expressing himself with the sounds that Jason, Falco, and Slippy were creating with their instruments, it just made her happy to see them all so united.

"Just one song," She thought "and the place is already in hysterics!"

"Alright!" Fox hooted, once again grasping the microphone. "This next one is a song that everyone in this band slaved over last night while preparing for this thing. This is a song from a band that we all very deeply admire. They're called Rush and this song is called…Anthem."

The crowd gave off a thunderous applause, as the band set up their instruments and prepared for the song. Slippy tapped his drumsticks together to start the track.

Jason's SG catapulted the song with four chords, and soon, Falco and Slippy joined in. The Coyote's guitar skills baffled the audience, as the mix between the sheer beauty and expressive tone that resonated from the amplifier spread to the spectator's ears.

Falco demonstrated his incredible bass playing by letting his fingers fly across the fret board of his thunderbird. His eyes had a look of pure intensity and the Avian never seemed more concentrated in his entire life.

Slippy was a complete animal behind the kit. Keeping up with the odd time signature, the toad had a face of utter concentration and dedication to his instrument, trying desperately to never lose rhythm and let the song flow with him.

Fox smiled at all of the members of his band, as he swung the microphone around and sang his heart out as the sound from the band settled down into a nice, steady rhythm.

He sang his heart out…

**Know your place in life is where you want to be  
>Don't let them tell you that you owe it all to me<br>Keep on looking forward; no use in looking 'round  
>Hold your head above the ground and they won't bring you down<strong>

**Anthem of the heart and anthem of the mind  
>A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind<br>We marvel after those who sought  
>New wonders in the world, wonders in the world,<br>Wonders in the world they wrought.**

**Live for yourself - there's no one else  
>More worth living for<br>Begging hands and bleeding hearts will  
>Only cry out for more <strong>

Once more, Fox wretched his vocals on the chorus of the song, as Jason broke out into a ferocious solo that blew the crowd away. His hands moved faster than a windmill spinning in the roaring wind, as his hands caressed the guitar like it was his child. Miyu couldn't believe her eyes.

" He's amazing!" Miyu thought in a dream like state**. "** The fact that he's not out there in the business is just baffling! My god, he's so graceful with that guitar in his hands. He's magic!"

Krystal noticed Miyu's trance and smiled to herself. She was so glad that the Lynx was enjoying herself. The Vixen knew just how strongly Miyu felt about the Coyote. She could feel the excitement radiating off of her. Still, Krystal just had the same amount of fun watching Fox. The Vulpine looked so uncharacteristically relaxed and laid back with the microphone in his hands.

"I love Fox this way." Krystal thought to herself with happiness floating through her. " No Andross, no Star Wolf, no war to worry about. I have to seem him more like this!"

**Well, I know they've always told you  
>Selfishness was wrong<br>Yet it was for me, not you, I  
>Came to write this song<strong>

**Anthem of the heart and anthem of the mind  
>A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind<br>We marvel after those who sought  
>New wonders in the world, wonders in the world,<br>Wonders in the world they wrought. **

The song concluded with a blistering drum line that resonated from Slippy's drum kit, as Jason strummed out the final power chords. Falco followed suit with Jason's strumming, as he forcefully plucked the final notes on his bass as Fox screamed the final word of the chorus. Once the song ended the crowd exploded into yet another frenzy that left the Star Fox team dumbfounded. They could not believe how well they were doing. Seemingly, overnight, after all of that practice, the members of the team realized that what they had was something special.

Jason felt the roar of the crowd wash over him. He never could have imagined that he would get this far. However, here he was! Playing a gig with some of the best guys he ever had a chance to meet, and sharing his music with all of the people willing to listen.

All the Coyote could do was smile.

The band plowed through other tunes effortlessly. Songs such as "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns n Roses, " If you want blood (You got it)" by ACDC, and "Sunshine of your Love" by Cream were songs that the crowd could really groove to, while other, more difficult tunes such as " Under a Glass Moon" by Dream Theater " Eyes of a Stranger" by Queensryche, and "One" by Metallica displayed the band's extremely impressive technical skills. "Under a Glass Moon" was probably the hardest piece of music for the band, being that there was a keyboard part for the song, which the band did not have. However, Jason was able to successfully alternate between the guitar and keyboard parts of the song. This not only showed the Coyote's impressive technical ability on guitar, but also his ability to play other lines from other instruments successfully.

Once the band got through the electric part of the gig, the time came for Jason and Falco to unplug their instruments, and for Jason to switch to his old acoustic guitar. He was going to sing his song for Miyu.

"Well…" Jason thought as he put his SG back in his case and grabbed his acoustic guitar. "Here we go."

Author's Note: Hey guys! So great to be back after so long! I know that you all must be pretty STEAMED with me after not updating this story for such a long time. But, the next chapter will be the last and I'll put it up when the time comes. I mean, I'm a junior in high school now and it's crazy to think that I've been working on this since middle school. So, I've got a lot on my plate regarding school and what I want to do with my life. So, please be patient and…

ROCK ON! ****


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Jason looked over his old acoustic guitar, as it laid peacefully in its hard shell case. He proceeded to let his fingers gently graze the steel strings, as memories of him and his father ran through his head…

"_Hey, Dad?" _

"_Yeah, buddy?" _

"_I've been wanting to ask you this because I've been thinking about it a lot."_

"_What's that, Jason?" _

"_What makes music so... wonderful?"_

"…"

"_Well, Jason, music is a mysterious language that can only be truly understood and appreciated by the people who take the time and listen with an open ear and mind. I mean, whenever I practice guitar or simply hum a tune, I can feel it course through my veins as if it's mixed in with my own blood. I can actually remember when your late grandpa played me a Cat Stevens record. When I first listened to "Wild World" I immediately thought to myself 'this is what I want to do with my life'. Now, I know that I may not be a professional musician, but once I got older I began to rethink my whole plan and then I decided 'music is supposed to be fun'. Suddenly, touring all of Corneria and never being able to see my own son did no appeal to me anymore. All in all, Jason, music should never be considered a 'business' or a 'marketing scheme'. Music comes from your soul, not the money you make by just strumming a few chords and becoming a public spectacle for everyone to gossip about. Jason, promise me that when I say this to you, you'll stick with it and never go against it. You promise?"_

"_Yeah, Dad."_

" _Let your soul be free. Play the music you want to play and play it well. Don't play for money, women, drugs, or any of that nonsense. I mean, if you ever become a professional musician that would be awesome! My point is, son, if you ever 'make it', stay true to yourself. Be the son that I will always cherish and love with all of my heart. Don't give in to the usual temptation of the musician's life. Believe me. I know from experience." _

"_I promise you, Dad. Thank you so much."_

"_Hey, no problem kiddo. Now, what do you say I teach you that Eddie Van Halen tapping trick you keep blabbing about?"_

"_Wow, really? Thanks, Dad!"_

"_Hey, it will only make you better."_

"Jason?"

Jason turned his eyes away from the guitar and turned his attention to Fox, who was looking extremely nervous.

"Fox, is everything ok?"

"I'm fine," the Vulpine replied. "I'm just a little anxious about this whole thing."

Jason raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Anxious about what? The song you picked out for Krystal?"

Fox blushed feverously, gritting his teeth in the process.

"I…just hope everything goes well. I want to let her know just how much I care about her, you know."

Jason chuckled slightly, surprised and humored at how uncommon it was to see Fox so nervous. He usually seemed more confident and sure of himself when he had something important to do, whether it be flying in dangerous missions, or filing stacks upon stacks of paperwork.

"Dude, she already knows!" Jason exclaimed. "I know that you got some butterflies in your stomach right now, but trust me. If you take a deep breath and visualize her as if she is the only one there, it'll all be good."

Fox nodded in agreement, as he ruffled his hair fur and inhaled deeply. After exhaling, he looked over at the Coyote and motioned him to follow him to the stage.

OOO

Krystal was having a wonderful time with Miyu, Peppy, Falco, and Slippy. While Jason and Fox were preparing for the second act, she and her friends were conversing at the table.

"You guys are amazing!" Miyu exclaimed. " I seriously cannot believe how great you guys sound!"

Peppy nodded in agreement, and added, " And to learn all of that material in such a short period of time is quite remarkable! How were you guys able to pull it off?"

Falco smiled goofily at the Hare and held up his right hand, wiggling his feathered fingers while playing an imaginary fret board.

"Magic fingers, man."

The whole group erupted in laughter, relishing in the great time they were all having.

However, Slippy was able to break the laughter by asking Miyu,

"So, Miyu, how cool is it to see Jason up there?"

Miyu blushed slightly while scratching her arm,

"He really is incredible up there. It's really awesome to see him play for all of these people. And he really can make that guitar wail."

Falco chuckled at Miyu's shyness,

" Well, the way you say it, I'd say you got feelings for the Coyote."

Miyu froze and gulped nervously.

"Well…he…uh…"

The whole group erupted into hysterical laughter, slightly embarrassing the Lynx. However, a friendly blue paw patted her shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry about it, Miyu." Krystal said. "We're just playing."

Miyu gave an understanding nod to the blue Vixen, as two figures appeared on the stage. Miyu and Krystal turned their heads to find Fox and Jason. Before them, Fox was taking some deep breaths, while Jason was tuning up his acoustic guitar. The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, eager to witness more great music.

"Ah, yes!" Falco exclaimed. "Here comes the second act!"

" An acoustic section, huh?" Peppy said in interest as he leaned back in his seat. "This should be really good."

All Miyu and Krystal could do was watch, as Fox approached the microphone once again.

Krystal could have sworn that Fox was looking directly at her, considering how he was standing and the look of extreme shyness on his face.

"Ok, so," Fox began. "We are going to play a couple more tunes before we head out. This time it's just me and my pal over here, Jason Evans."

The Coyote could hear some small cheers come from the crowd, as he smiled innocently and gave a short wave.

"Ha! That's our Jason!" Falco joked as he gave the Coyote a thumbs up from the table.

Fox and Jason laughed quietly at Falco's gesture, as they sat down in the chairs carefully set up for them. Jason let Fox know that his acoustic guitar was completely in tune, as he played a few chords to prove that the instrument could sing. Fox smiled and nodded, as he spoke once again into the microphone with his eyes set directly on a certain blue Vixen.

"This first tune is uh…" Fox began, trying desperately to hide the red glow on his face. "A song I picked out for someone special here tonight."

Krystal froze as her muzzle hung agape at what the Vulpine had just announced. Ignoring the teasing smirks coming from the members at her table, she looked directly at Fox with both ears perked up in full attention.

" I can remember the first day I met this woman." Fox spoke. "And…my heart just soared to new heights that I couldn't have ever possibly imagined. Her fur is a unique and healthy shade of blue and she has the sweetest smile this side of the entire Lylat system. We already know how much we love each other, but… I'm doing this just to show how much I love and care for this amazing Vixen. So, with Jason here to back me up, I am going to sing a song that I found while digging through Peppy Hare's old records. It's from the Beatle's Hard Days Night LP and the song is called 'And I love her'."

The Vulpine took one last glance at Krystal, who was trying desperately to fight back the tears of joy that were swimming around in her eyes.

"I hope all of you…especially Krystal….enjoy it."

With that said, Jason began strumming his acoustic guitar, starting on an f sharp minor chord and then moving up to a c sharp minor chord for the first eight bars of the song. With all of his heart pouring out to the Vixen he loved so dearly, Fox bean to sing,

**I give her all my love  
>That's all I do<br>And if you saw my love  
>You'd love her too<br>I love her**

**She gives me everything  
>And tenderly<br>The kiss my lover brings  
>She brings to me<br>And I love her**

**A love like ours  
>Could never die<br>As long as I  
>Have you near me<strong>

**Bright are the stars that shine  
>Dark is the sky<br>I know this love of mine  
>Will never die<br>And I love her**

After the verse, Jason broke into a melodic solo that captivated the crowd. It sounded so pure and true, as the natural sound of the acoustic guitar resonated throughout the entire room.

Miyu's eyes were fixed in a dream like state on the Coyote, as she could not fathom just how talented and special Jason really was. His fingers danced across the fret board with elegance that only true devotion and practice could bring. It was almost as if his connection with the guitar really brought out his musical soul. To Miyu, Jason without a guitar in his hands was like an ice cream sundae without the cherry on top. It completed him. It soothed him. It allowed the music flowing through him to be heard. To Miyu, Jason was a musical machine.

Krystal, on the other hand, was doing her best not to break down in tears of joy. There he was. The Vulpine whom she loved dearly was singing to her. It was a song that she believed truly expressed Fox's affection towards her. The Vixen was placing her hands against her agape mouth, as she could only stare at the Vulpine in astonishment, happiness, and love.

Fox's voice really shined on the tune, as the crowd was absolutely floored by what a great voice he had and how diverse it could be. It could rock, it could swing, it could shriek, and it could soothe. The Vulpine's voice sounded like an entranced male pouring his heart out to the one he loved, describing his feelings in brilliant detail with his voice.

After the solo, Fox sang the final chorus,

**Bright are the stars that shine  
>Dark is the sky<br>I know this love of mine  
>Will never die<br>And I love her**

Jason carefully and delicately strummed the final chords of the song, ending on a strong d chord.

All the crowd could do…was stare in awe.

"There's one more thing I have to do." Fox whispered into the microphone as he hopped off the stage and began to head towards the back of the restaurant, where his friends, and his love, were sitting.

Krystal could barely mutter a single sentence, as she saw Fox walk up to her slowly with a look of pure love and happiness in his eyes. The Vixen began to allow the tears to fall from her eyes, as they slid down along her beautiful face.

"I…I don't believe this." Krystal thought. "He…Fox."

The Vulpine reached the Vixen, as he brought his hand up to her face and gently wiped the tears away, still with a smile on his face. With concerned eyes and a heartwarming smile, Fox whispered,

"Don't cry, Krystal. I'm here…and if you accept what I have to propose to you now, I'll always be here."

Krystal, as well as everyone else at the table, gasped in shock, as the Vulpine got down on one knee, and fetched a small case from his pocket. Krystal could only stare as the Vulpine kneeled before her with an expression of hopefulness and slight fear.

"I've wanted to ask you this for so long." He began.

"Fox." Krystal gasped.

"But, I was too nervous to really make a move at first."

"Fox, oh my gods."

The Vulpine opened the case, which held a golden ring with a silver diamond sitting proudly on top of it, shining brightly.

"Krystal." Fox sniffed, hoping for the three-letter word that would make him the happiest man in the world. "Will…you marry me?"

Krystal couldn't hold it in anymore.

She jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms tightly around the Vulpine in a deep embrace.

"Yes…yes, Fox." She sobbed in his ear, as she buried her face into his shoulder.

The whole restaurant broke into a fit of applause, ecstatic to see the couple finally become one.

But, for Fox and Krystal, this all meant so much more.

All of the awkwardness, all of the feelings, all of the pain, all of the lonely nights away from each other… it was all behind them now.

They could start a new life together. They could see each other every morning and every night. They would never feel alone again. They finally had each other.

And they were never going to leave each other again.

"Fox." Krystal said, as she calmed down and looked into his eyes. "I love you."

Fox smiled, as tears began to form in his eyes.

"I love you, Krystal."

The soon to be wed couple sat down together, holding each other in an embrace as they turned their attention back to the stage.

There was Jason, with a dumbstruck look on his face, watching the whole event unfold. While he was ecstatic that the two Foxes were able to tie the knot, he also knew that his OWN song would have to follow up the Vulpine's stunning performance.

"Holy…" He thought. "How am I supposed to compete with that?"

OOO

There he was.

Alone, exposed and with nowhere else to go, Jason timidly at down in his chair, as he quietly tuned his guitar back to pitch.

It was quite funny to Miyu, as she listened to the Coyote hum out the proper notes that went into the standard tuning.

Jason hummed the sound resonating from the six strings.

"E…A…D…G…B…E."

Miyu giggled softly as she focused her eyes once more on the lone Coyote. He sat down, got comfortable in his seat and spoke into the microphone.

His eyes were set directly on Miyu.

"This will be the last song for tonight. Before I play, I just want to say truthfully that this is perhaps the best crowd I've ever played for so far. Thank you all."

The crowd erupted into applause, hooting and calling the Coyote's name. It was all so overwhelming for Jason. Everything felt as if it was going a million miles per minute. It still felt for him like it was just yesterday that Fox McCloud found him in the bathroom of the Punk Scene and granted him membership to the Star Fox team. There he showcased his talents as a skilled pilot and mercenary and worked as diligently as he could for Star Fox. But, music…music was his real love.

That and a certain beautiful Lynx.

" Furthermore," Jason began. " I want to give a special thanks to my band, Star Fox, who are chilling in the back there."

The audience once again gave a rousing applause for the team, as Star Fox looked around with broad smiles on their faces and waved politely. Fox had a hard time waving, as he did not want to risk dropping his fiancé.

"I also want to congratulate Fox and Krystal for their…recent…uh…"tying of the knot" as they say."

The crows laughed at Jason's silly remark, as Fox and Krystal went into hysterics, yet still appreciative of the Coyote's acknowledgement.

"And then there's this Lynx…"

Miyu almost choked on her food.

"There's this woman who…ah…jeez. I mean…she's just so…wonderful."

The Lynx blushed uncontrollably, as at the time, it only seemed like she and Jason where the only living creatures in the room.

She ignored the smirks and giggles directed at her, as she set her eyes intensely on the Coyote.

"I really can't describe her. She's just too…tremendous."

"Jason…" Miyu thought in anticipation, as she watched her crush's face turn a deep shade of red at the sight of the Lynx's attention.

"But… maybe this song will tell you all a little bit about her."

Miyu could only watch and marvel at the sight of Jason strumming his guitar.

"This song is called 'There's something about this Girl.'"

With that, Jason positioned himself and sang to the woman who he loved dearly

All of his hard work was going to culminate at this very moment:

**Scarlet Eyes **

**Blue like water**

**The sound of her voice**

**Sends me in a trance**

**All of these thoughts**

**Race through my mind **

**Whenever I'm in too deep**

**I look into her eyes**

**When I 'm on the floor**

**She shows me there's more**

**Her smile is pure **

**It reignites my life**

**There's something about this girl**

**What could it be?**

**Whenever she's around**

**Her beauty tortures me**

**My heart soars**

**Whenever she's around**

**And I think to myself**

**This has to be love**

After finishing the first chorus, Jason broke out into a delicate solo. His fingers gently grazed the fret board of his old acoustic guitar, as pleasant sounds of love, sincerity, and emotion resonated from the sound hole. Miyu could feel the hot tears begin to form in her eyes. All of these different emotions were swirling around inside of her as she watched the Coyote confess his love towards her.

Jason carefully concluded the solo, as he began the next verse

**Her spirit's strong**

**Her hair is soft**

**I don't care what others say**

**She deserves more than me**

**Like an angel**

**She soothes me**

**But, I wonder if she knows**

**That she is what I need**

**When I 'm on the floor**

**She shows me there's more**

**Her smile is pure **

**It reignites my life**

**There's something about this girl**

**What could it be?**

**Whenever she's around**

**Her beauty tortures me**

**My heart soars**

**Whenever she's around**

**And I think to myself**

**This has to be love**

Jason kept on repeating the final line of the chorus, as the song faded away with his voice. The last chord rang out softly, but still had the strength to send shockwaves around the entire restaurant. All the Coyote could do was smile sheepishly, as he stuffed his pick back into his pocket and began to put his guitar away.

He walked backstage… and there she was. He ignored the thunderous roar that erupted from the crowd after he went behind the curtain. All he wanted to see afterwards was her.

He wanted her.

He needed her.

He wanted to spend every waking moment with her.

The Lynx was looking at him with a tear filled gaze. Her arms rested at her sides and her ears were drooping downward.

"Oh no…"Jason thought. "What have I done? I…I humiliated her."

He waited for it; the sickening slap that would forever seal the fact that he would never have her, and that he would live the rest of his life as an orphaned, poor, and starving musician.

However, what happened next was something that he could have never expected in a million years.

Miyu threw herself at him, desperately embracing the astonished Coyote and burying her face deep into his chest. She began to sob uncontrollably in utter joy, as she could not believe Jason's romantic action.

"Jason…I…" Miyu struggled as she once again buried her face into his chest.

The Coyote began to feel teary eyed, as he was hopelessly unaware that the Lynx's tears were that of happiness.

"Miyu…I'm so sor-"

She cut him off.

With one swift motion, the Lynx pushed Jason against the wall and kissed him passionately, relinquishing any fear that the Coyote would have had at the time.

It was needless to say, but Miyu thought that Jason's song was the most beautiful song she had ever heard. It had all been for her. After months of awkward moments and repressed feelings, they finally so much as connected lips with each other. It was the most amazing feeling that the two had ever felt in their lives. They could feel their tongues enter each other's mouths, as they fought against each other, relishing in the taste of their newfound loved one.

Without any hesitation, Jason picked up the breathtaking Lynx and spun her around ecstatically, once again pressing his eager lips against hers, as he could not get enough of Miyu's conciliating taste. It was such a welcoming taste. It was a taste of pure love.

Miyu reluctantly retracted her lips from the Coyote's, as she said the most important words that she would ever say for the rest of her life.

"I love you, Jason Evans."

Jason smiled happily, as he pressed his nose against hers and rubbed against it affectionately (or as some call it, the "Eskimo Kiss").

" And I love you, Miyu Seraph."

With that said, the Coyote carried the Lynx in his arms as he made his way towards the exit. Along the way, he saw his friends at the table.

These were his true friends. They were the people who took him in when he was a struggling musician who just happened to be good enough based on his record from the academy. They were the people who encouraged him to pursue his passion in making meaningful music that would last a lifetime.

Upon seeing him, all they could do was cheer and cheer and cheer. But, what really got to Jason the most was the look on Peppy's old, tired face.

The old Hare had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. The concert, Fox's proposal to Krystal, and, to end it all on a strong note, the start of a wonderful relationship between a lovely Lynx and a Coyote whom he deeply admired like a son. Nobody in the entire restaurant could blame him for shedding a tear.

"You're going somewhere, kid." He thought happily. "You really are."

The Coyote, with a new mate in his arm and a bright future ahead of him, strolled out of the restaurant and into the light that was his dream coming to life.

"Can you see me now, father?" He thought with pride. "Can you see me now?"

Author's Note: IT'S DONE! Finally! This was probably the hardest chapter that I have ever done for this story, and it still isn't really that good lol.

Before I go, I really want to thank all of you who read this and supported me over the years. This story was a lot of fun to write and I am so glad that I am now able to finish it after all of this time. I once again humbly apologize for the long wait, as the conclusion of this story was put on long wait ( junior year sucks!) But, it's done now and I can say that I really enjoyed being a part of the fanfiction community. But now, it is time for me to move on with my life and keep on trucking through its difficult challenges. I quote Dave Grohl, "Life's a bitch, but keep on trucking!" I have a band, a future to create, and a lot of work to get done. So, with a heavy heart, I say one…final…

ROCK ON!


	36. Epilogue

Epilogue

OOO

"Hurry up, guys! It's almost on!"

Krystal's chime summoned the team to find their place in front of the medium-sized cube shaped television that resided in the living room of Fox and Krystal's recently purchased summer home in one of the most beautiful cities in all of Corneria. Snacks and delicious treats were lined up in the kitchen, with cheese puffs, grapes, tiny pretzels, and cookies for the team to munch on as they eagerly awaited the video that took six hours to make with a budget of only 55,000 credits.

They were awaiting Jason's first music video, as the Coyote had been picked up by a record company just weeks after the amazing show that Star Fox played eight months prior.

"Oh, man!" Slippy cheered. "This is going to be so awesome!"

"Hell yeah, man!" Falco hooted. "Throw me a pretzel!"

Slippy complied, as he tossed the pretzel in the air, only for it to be snatched and consumed by the yellow beak of Falco Lombardi. Falco chewed on the pretzel eagerly while sporting a goofy smile on his face.

" That takes skill." Fox joked, as he casually walked towards the remote, picked it up, and turned up the volume.

Falco chuckled in reply and relaxed himself by stretching out his arms and resting against the back of his cozy chair.

"This is so cool!" He hollered, still savoring the taste of pretzel in his mouth. "Jason's on his way man!"

Peppy, in his usual old and tired fashion, came into the room while scratching his back.

"It's coming on already?" He murmured. "I must have really been out!"

Fox chuckled, patting the old Hare on the back as he replied,

"Well, you probably shouldn't have spent all night checking out those silly maps and working yourself to death, old timer!"

Peppy snorted

"Well, Fox, I may be old. But, this iron horse still has beef left in him."

They both laughed, relishing in the moment and having a great time. It had been such a long time since Fox had felt this way. After the show, he had become so much more relaxed. All of the turmoil that had engulfed his life, with all of the war, death, and pain he had to suffer, it all just seemed to dissipate and fade away.

Plus, he and the Vixen of his dreams, Krystal McCloud, had been married for six months and did not show any signs of getting sick of each other. The Vulpine could remember the moment that he had proposed to Krystal. It was the look on the sapphire Vixen's face that he could not shake from his reminiscing mind.

All of the pain they had suffered together, with him kicking her off the team, only for her to join Star Wolf, and then miraculously decide to forgive him and rejoin Star Fox, it all seemed so unreal that they were together again, let alone married.

The wedding was simple. Everyone had a great time. Jason was there as well, with Miyu by his side. The ceremony had probably been one of the most intimate experiences that the couple had ever experienced. Even though there were plenty of people witnessing the eternal bond occurring between them, all they could focus on were each other on that wonderful day. As soon as Krystal made her way towards the altar, Fox could not remember taking his eyes off her. She looked so beautiful and pure in her wedding dress, which Miyu had helped pick out for her. Her eyes were like two pools of spring water that day. The Vulpine could have taken a swim in them.

As soon as the words "I do" left their mouths, they knew that this was the start of something immense. A family. For two of the loneliest souls living in the Lylat system, they could finally start a new family, as they both had troubled pasts that included the death of their most precious loved ones, including their parents.

Fox walked over to his mate and wrapped both of his arms around her waist, issuing a giggling reply from her.

"Hello, handsome." She whispered while placing her delicate hands over his.

"Hello, beautiful." He replied softly while kissing her on the cheek.

For about a minute, the couple just stood there, relishing in the little moment they were having.

"Hey, Krystal." Fox cooed in her twitching ear.

"Yes, Fox?" She asked soothingly.

The Vulpine tightened his hold on her, as he gently rubbed his muzzle on the side of her neck.

"I love you."

She smiled warmly, turning her head to her lover and lightly kissed his little black nose.

"I love you too."

They wanted these little moments to last forever. Unfortunately, they simply could not, as a concerned Lynx burst into the room.

"I can't find Jason!"

Fox and Krystal reluctantly separated and turned their attention to Miyu. She looked extremely worried.

"What do you mean, Miyu?" Krystal asked, perplexed.

"I…I just can't find him." She worried. "The last time I saw him he was taking a nap in one of your guest rooms and then when I went to check on him he was not there."

Fox crossed his arms and stated,

"Well, he's going to miss his video! But, I wouldn't worry, Miyu. Jason has always been able to take good care of himself. I'm sure he's fine."

Miyu felt a rush of comfort, but still was not completely assured.

"Are you sure about that, Fox?"

The Vulpine smiled.

"Yep."

Miyu breathed a sigh of relief, as she found a seat and started intently at the T.V.

"Hey, Miyu, where's Jason?"

Miyu turned her attention to Falco, who had his hands behind his head while leaning back in his seat.

"He's going to miss the video!"

Miyu felt her concern come back, as she got up from her chair.

"I don't know, Falco. Maybe he's outside."

The Lynx exited the room swiftly, that is, after Krystal stopped her.

" Miyu, where are you going?" She asked, perplexed.

The Lynx padded over to the back exit of the house and replied,

"I'm going out back to find that silly Coyote!"

With that said, the Lynx exited the room and headed out back, in desperate search for the one she loved.

After watching Miyu leave, the Vixen sighed and thought to herself,

"Poor girl. She really can't stand being without him."

"Hey, Krystal, It's starting up!"

The Vixen's ears twitched at the sound of her husband's voice, as she joined her team around the television.

OOO

There he was, inside the box. Jason looked rather timid with the microphone in his hand, as he began to promote the single that he had recently recorded. He looked as if he had been diligently pampered for the promo, as his hair was neatly combed while his fur appeared silky and smooth. However, despite the Coyote's favorable appearance, he could not shake the anxiousness from his face. Jason was not exactly a fan of being filmed, even if it was for his music.

"Uh…hey." Jason stuttered nervously into the microphone. "You're watching, uh, Corneria Music Broadcasting, and my name is Jason Evans."

The whole team instantly erupted in laughter, feeling a sense of joy from just observing their nervous looking friend on the screen.

" Maybe Jason is nowhere to be found because he doesn't want to be caught dead looking at himself like this!" Slippy croaked with laughter. "Look at him! He's a nervous mess!"

The Toad was silenced by an aggravated punch on the shoulder.

"Shut it, Slippy!" Falco barked. "People are trying to watch!"

Slippy giggled lightly and turned his attention back to the box.

"So, um, this is a song that I covered from one of my favorite guitarists." Jason announced. " It's a song from Joe Satriani, a human artist from way back. This song is called, "Satch Boogie".

After his nervous moment on television, Jason managed a small smile before the screen faded to black.

"Oh, man!" Fox exclaimed. "This is going to be great!"

OOO

The Lynx was avidly searching for her lover, kicking through piles of hot sand with every step she took. It was around 7:50 PM, a time when the beach really showed its true beauty. While searching for Jason, Miyu could not help but stare at the sunset, as it gave off radiant colors of red, orange, and yellow.

Suddenly, in her trance, she could hear his guitar.

Miyu's ears perked up with excitement, as she ran towards the sound of the Coyote's unmistakable acoustic sound. She could sense that feeling from his music again. It absolutely made her heart flutter. Whether it was clean or distorted, the sounds that resonated from Jason's guitar always spoke to her in some way. To Miyu, it was as if the guitar was a second voice for Jason. It was a voice that expressed the feelings that the Coyote had pent up inside of him, whether they be of love, hate, happiness, sadness, or simply reminiscence.

Finally, after running on the shore for only a minute, she found him.

He was sitting on top of a dune, plucking his guitar while looking up into the sunset. He was wearing a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt. His eyes gave a powerful look of passion and longing, as if he were serenading a soul that had been most close to him. The whistling wind blew against him, provoking his long hair to flow gracefully behind him like a mane.

He was not using pick. He was letting his careful fingers do all of the work. Miyu, not wanting to disturb the Coyote just yet, found herself a good hiding spot and listened intently to Jason.

Jason, still plucking his guitar with care, looked up and sang to the dimly illuminated sky.

**Would you know my name  
>If I saw you in heaven?<br>Would it be the same  
>If I saw you in heaven?<strong>

**I must be strong  
>And carry on<br>'Cause I know I don't belong  
>Here in heaven<strong>

**Would you hold my hand  
>If I saw you in heaven?<br>Would you help me stand  
>If I saw you in heaven?<strong>

**I'll find my way  
>Through night and day<br>'Cause I know I just can't stay  
>Here in heaven<strong>

**Time can bring you down  
>Time can bend your knees<br>Time can break your heart  
>Have you begging please<br>Begging please**

**Beyond the door  
>There's peace, I'm sure<br>And I know there'll be no more  
>Tears in heaven<strong>

**Would you know my name  
>If I saw you in heaven?<br>Would it be the same  
>If I saw you in heaven?<strong>

**I must be strong  
>And carry on<br>'Cause I know I don't belong  
>Here in heaven<strong>

**'Cause I know I don't belong  
>Here in heaven<strong>

Miyu smiled to herself, as her ears felt like they had just received a gentle massage from Jason's music. Deciding that it was time to expose herself, the Lynx snuck up behind the Coyote and wrapped her arms around his chest.

Jason jumped slightly at the sudden touch, but soon relaxed when he saw whom the arms belonged to. To Jason, Miyu's fur was as soft as any piece of valuable silk in the entire galaxy. Now that he had expressed his feelings to the Lynx whom he deeply loved, he would get to feel her fur every day.

However, Miyu meant so much more to Jason than that. To him, the Lynx was a woman for whom he had to care and love with all of his heart and soul. Her personality was perfect for the Coyote's standards. She was sweet and kind, but also possessed a sense of bravery and strong will.

"Hey, you're missing your video." Miyu cooed softly in Jason's ear.

The Coyote's eyes softened when he heard her angelic voice.

"Sorry." He replied. "I didn't want to seem rude. I just needed some time."

Miyu nodded understandingly, as she retracted her hands from around his chest and rested them on his broad shoulders.

"Is it about your father?" She asked as politely as she could, not wanting to spark depression in the Coyote.

Jason could only reply with a small nod, as he turned his attention back up to the sky.

"I wonder if he can really hear me, you know." Jason sighed. "I just want some sort of sign that he knows how I'm doing in this wacky world."

The couple chuckled lightly. Afterwards, Miyu stated,

"I'm sure you're father heard you."

Jason ears flickered, as he watched his love set herself beside him and watch the clouds.

"Really?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?"

Miyu turned her head to Jason and smiled warmly. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"Well, do you hear the sounds that the waves make as they crash on the shore?"

Jason looked out at the glistening ocean and nodded in response,

"That is his voice." Miyu said softly. "And the wind that is blowing right now, that is his hug."

The Coyote smiled to himself, as the wind pushed against him. After listening to Miyu's words, Jason felt as if he was feeling his father's unmistakable embrace.

Miyu placed her hand over the Coyote's chest, stroking it softly against his Jimi Hendrix shirt.

"And whenever your heart beats…"

Jason looked at Miyu, staring intently into her enchanting blue eyes.

"That is his love."

The Coyote smiled warmly at the Lynx, as the words fully affected hi, brightening his mood.

Jason leaned over to Miyu and pecked her on the lips, issuing a content sigh from her.

"Thank you, Miyu. I love you."

"I love you too, Jason."

The couple connected lips once again, feeling great comfort in each other's arms. They urged the kiss on, as Jason swept Miyu off of her feet and caressed her with great care.

The Lynx giggled happily, feeling more than safe in the Coyote's arms.

After the kiss, Miyu looked up at Jason and said,

"Well, I wonder what events await us in the future."

The Coyote smiled, as he and his lover looked out into the beautiful sunset against the silky skyline.

"I don't know." He replied. "But, I am more than willing to spend every single waking moment of them with you, Miyu."

The Lynx gave off yet another breathtaking smile to the Coyote, as she rested into his caress.

"The feeling's mutual, Jason."

Author's Note:

Well, there's the epilogue. I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter and that it wasn't too unnecessary for you. I just felt that I should shed some light on what happens to Jason after the show.

Also, if you're curious about Jason's video, just look up Joe Satriani's "Satch Boogie" on YouTube and watch the music video. It's pretty awesome. Also, I may still write for fanfiction, depending on my schedule and how motivated I am to work.

Rock On!


End file.
